Pasttimes, Past Time

Sitting here on the balcony, drinking up the cool peace of the evening, I am accompanied by candlelight and coffee in a clear mug. There's just something invigorating about striking a match, and the way the flames stand out against the night, growing more prominent as the sky darkens and the time passes. It only seems appropriate to be listening to "Can't Take It In" by Imogen Heap.

 

"Every hair on my body

Has got a thing for this place.

...

It couldn't be any more beautiful, I can't take it in.

...

All that I wanted. 

All that I ever needed.

All that I wonder

So beautiful."

It has been a long time. Time has passed, and life's plot has thickened; I don't want to put this book down. I am going to try to re-cap some of the instances that have occurred in the past two weeks, and hopefully not think too long and hard how time passes in the States, too. It's comfortable to think that the U.S.-ians are stagnant while I am on the move here in Europe. I don't want to miss anything. Honestly, if I had my way, I would just plop all of you here in Basel and consciously collide my worlds. Took a short nap before writing this post, and I woke up to homemade pizza. I just can't get over how blessed I am to have such a wonderful group of roommates. Roger left on Wednesday for the Netherlands for a few months. You live life with a smile on your face, and then the rug is pulled out from under you, and you're reminded of the beautiful nuances of life again; unfortunately, this awakening happens when the beauties wane or change colors, and you can't have them much longer.

Had a "blind date" with one of Mirjam's friends named Christina. It was crazy... we were both standing in Barfüsserplatz, and hadn't thought to ask what the other looked like, but after some texting, we figured out who was who. It was a really great evening, making another new friend, laughing, and being able to talk about how God has been working in our lives. It is refreshing to see what encounters God can create to revamp you.

Took a walk one night behind the bahnhof, a part of town I rarely visit. There were some really crazy shops, even a doll hospital. In the window display, there was a tray of doll eyes, and piles of doll limbs and heads. In the dark of the night, goosebumps creeped in.

Last weekend, I took some time to just relax and enjoy Basel. Funny how you forget it is summer sometimes, and THIS is the chance you have before the craziness of school again. Went to the flea market on Saturday morning, and feasted upon centuries of oldness—you could smell time. There was a signed folio of work by Jean Tinguely that I loved, but was 2,000 CHF, so it stayed there. There were boxes of clock ingredients—faces, hands, gears and straps. Antique typewriters held half-written letters, and leather bags teemed with stories to tell. Went on an organized walking tour of Basel that afternoon. I couldn't believe I wanted to do this, as I do my own little walking tour every day and don't charge myself, but I was craving the history lesson. Being a designated tourist opens your eyes again. That evening, Katie and I went to my friend Lisa's in Liestal for homemade dinner and a movie. We watched "Frühstück an den Tiffany's" — and it was even an unanimous decision! I, of course, loved it, but one of Lisa's friends did not really care for it. I think it was the American culture that caused the confusion; subtitles can't give you everything. It was awesome answering some of her questions about America on the train back to Basel.

Sunday was spent lingering over omelettes and working on some freelance work at, gasp, Starbucks. I caved, and got an iced latte. At church, we continued our study on Nehemiah, and talked about rebuilding Jerusalem, and following your vision. Nehemiah prayed for many months before asking the king's permission and support to go and rebuild. He asks for everything he needs, with confidence, knowing God will provide, because Nehemiah's plans are in Him. There was also an analogy I really liked about going "to the ends of the earth." The end of the earth is going all the way around the world to come right back to your next door neighbor. Nehemiah goes back to his roots, to help rebuild his ancestry, to bring glory to God's name.

After church, Katie and I went to see The Dark Knight... finally! I will never understand the delayed release system of Hollywood. Don't they know there are antsy people like me here in Switzerland? It was awesome, but seriously scary. Katie and I have been having dreams about the Joker, and Daniel has been using that to his full advantage to scare us! :) Guess what... there was an intermission! Yea, randomly in the middle of an action scene, the screen dimmed and a graphic soared from the side to the center exclaiming the smoke break. It was so haphazard. There was also an extremely humorous old man who worked at the theater. I think I am just going to have to relay this story in person, because I tried typing it, and it just didn't capture the full funny.

A fly just got caught in the wax of my tealight. I can only think of Jurassic Park, with that mosquito in the amber of the old man's cane. "It's in yer blood!"

This week flew by, as all of them tend to do these days. I have been sitting in cafés with kaffees, lately, reading my latest Toni Morrison treat. The descriptive sentences just seem to envelop me. I was walking by the fountain by the river, nose-in-book and oblivious to the trams and people around me when I looked up and was like, I am Belle right now. Confiserie Schiesser is my new favorite place. The interior is all dark wood, the whole place smells like warm chocolate, and they bring your drink on a small silver platter. You can't help but feel special. 

On Tuesday, we celebrated Katie's birthday and ate at a quaint little Swiss restaurant across the train tracks. Came back to the apartment for Roger's goodbye gathering. There were alot of people I knew, and a few new people to meet as well. It was such a great night of learning about other cultures, that is, painful, but good. I have been learning the value of cultural understanding while being here. It is something I don't think you can learn by just hearing stories; it takes situations to teach. Flat out, nationality stereotypes can be evil. And let me tell you, the American stereotype is a sly double-edged sword. When it comes to entertainment, people can soak you up, but mentions of politics and lifestyle burn all bridges. Black becomes ultra-black and white becomes untintable; it is forgotten that these two colors can mix and balance into grey. Frequently, somewhere in conversation I become Bush and I am personally at fault for the ruins of this world. All of us are puking out what we've been fed by our country's version of the media, searching for a common fact, searching for some sort of ultimate solution. What starts as a question in search of a true answer can become a wretched, divisive wall. But I am convinced that through this is understanding; being a hunter-gatherer of people's viewpoints and experiences broadens horizons., With this, you can begin to transcend language, heritage, or even political affiliation to remember we are all still just us, friends picked from around the world and placed in a flat to learn from each other, and become better people because of it. 

Meghan arrived on Thursday morning! It was so awesome having her here, as she passes through to her next study abroad destination. It was fun to exchange stories, and show her around this city that I love. We got to go to the Imagine festival, a world fair with lingering incense and some live indie rock music. Loved the Belgian group Balthazar, and UK's Chikinki was pretty good, too. Here is a link to hear Balthazar. Meg and I tried some fried cheese on bread that was amazing, and some Indian food that beats Krishna and Amol any day. Basel has had a lot of festivals so far this summer; it is nice to see the city come alive and overflow with people. Came home and thought that Daniel and Laura were to bed, and that Meghan would possibly leave without getting to meet them, when I found them in living room watching Monk in German. We all had some good laughs, discussing hot Egyptians, singing from the Little Mermaid, and introducing Daniel and Laura to Dane Cook. The Kool-Aid man jokes don't mean anything to people who don't know what Kool-Aid is. This part of the evening was one of my favorite memories of my time here so far.

Saturday we went to Germany and France to be with Kara for the day! Went to the Alsace region for a lovely day in quaint Kayserberg. We climbed some castle ruins to be rewarded with this gorgeous view of wine country.

Look how cute she is! :)

Was on the street and saw someone on a park bench with a sweet giveaway bag from this year's Art Basel festival in mid-June. I asked the woman where she got it, or where I could buy one, and she just GAVE it to me. I was floored. I didn't know people still did that! She literally just took out all of her stuff, put it in a neat pile next to her, and handed it to me with a smile. Wow.

Well, if you are still here reading, I congratulate you for surviving this very long post. Love you all. 

—Linds

Bern: The D.C. of Switzerland

I have a problem. 

I get sucked into Internet quicksand too easily, and see the hours dwindle away in The New York Times, the Olympics,A Adium, on Facebook, and Wiki-ing nonsense. Not to mention an unhealthy addiction to the Friends DVDs box sets. I guess what I am getting at is that I spend all day at work in front of a screen, and then come home to a screen. I use these things as a supplement, as a crutch, as a distraction. I need to scrounge my way out of this boggy sand. So. I will not be online, unless for work purposes, for the next week. And Friends, I am limiting to one episode a day, if any (yep, it was that bad). Will probably check my mail briefly. I need this.

Just came back from seeing Into the Wild at the Open Air cinema in Münsterplatz with my roommate Katie. After a rousing game of 20 questions (seriously, it was a lot of fun), and a free ice cream, we enjoying the most expensive movie I have ever been to... a whopping 19 CHF... but wow,what a moving film. Being on my own little journey right now, it has put a looking glass up onto my time here, and driven some questions into my heart that I just keep ignoring. One of the most moving parts was when Alexander Supertramp wrote between the lines in his book "Happiness only real when shared." Going into the wild to be free, only to become trapped. Rent it...very powerful.

Church on Sunday evening was sweet. The night before, I was unable to get to sleep until like 5am, so it was difficult to concentrate, but the service was awesome because we are beginning to study Nehemiah; I KNOW I have never read this book. It just sort of gets lost in the abyss of the Old Testament for me, so it is great to actually take a look at this book. We discussed society, and as Christians, how we sometimes tend to talk about society as a "them" rather than an "us." The pastor passes around a bunch of newspapers, and we read them for five minutes, and then prayed about how we could help, leave a life of comfort and looking in, and rather be involved in prayer and action. With the way I have been addicted to the news lately, I thought it was such an interesting way to open our eyes to the world in a different way. I was "reading" (in quotes because the papers were in German and I was going off cognants and online news from earlier in the week) about the Georgian-Russian-(American) conflict. It was a good thing, for as frustrated as I am with the political actions of America and the impact it has had on me here, I must associate myself with these relational problems, as do the Swiss. I cannot be a condemning outsider; we are all in the problem, and all capable of moving towards a solution. 

Sunday afternoon I took a short trip to Bern, the country's capital, which is about an hour away. It is a lot like Basel, in its small-town vibe. The arcaded walkways and quirky shops were fun to peruse, as well as the Zentrum Paul Klee, who was born here, did some work here, and later headed to Germany to work with the Blaue Reiter group and the Bauhaus. Check out this sweet thing I found in the gift shop.

There was an exhibition there about Klee's study of botanicals, but I really didn't get much out of it. This, though, was pretty cool, a theater group doing a performance ontop of the Renzo Piano structure. It was cool until it started raining.

I just thought this was picturesque.

Because the bear was the first animal hunted in the area, it became the city's "mascot" and is on the canton flag. They even have live bears as "pets" in the city.

I have never seen a river quite as blue as the one in Bern... with a lot of green in it. Saw the giant glockenspiel, where the people come out at the strike of each hour. And I saw the "White House" of the city, where the seven person board functions as their President. It is difficult to see this "board" at the same level as Bush. It just seems so small here, like it could possibly be a state government, but not over a whole country! The board members apparently catch the tram to work, and have no bodyguards whatsoever. 

Here's another picture I loved from the journey:

Well, I guess this is c-ya until next week. Take care. Love Linds.

...And All That Jazz

This week was one of the fastest, by far. The beginning of the week was rainy, pouring for two straight days. My balcony was flooded with four inches of water, with no drainage, and it still hasn't evaporated. How long does that take, anyways, to evaporate that much? I guess we'll see, or if bugs start coming, I might just take a mug and scoop it all out and throw it into the garden below.

My parents came back from Paris on Wednesday, and we took a long walk around the city, and rode the small ferry that crosses the river. These boats are so cute! They run with a pulley and the current. It is really only 5 minutes on a tiny boat, but they're fun, so I was glad to do this. Ate at Zum Schnafel, which I pass everyday going to work. It was Swiss-authentic...home-y, wood coming at you from all angles, and leaded glass "bar chandeliers." I had some veal with Rosti, best compared to hashbrowns. I love Swiss cooking! 

After Mom and Dad's departure, I decided to venture to Münchenstein, a small town in Basel-land, on Thursday. I went to the Schaulager, a building designed by Herzog and de Meuron (they are a small architecture army that has officially taken over the edificial world). 

They had a great exhibit with work by Andrea Zittel (Brooklyn) and Monika Sosnowska (Poland). The space is huge, and worked well with the large and abstract works of these women. I got to know Lynn, a security guard who works there, who was absolutely awesome. I was going into one of the Sosnowska pieces, that was actually an endless hallway that ended up going straight into the ceiling. She asked me if I could see the "end," but I thought she asked me if I could see the "hand." I went back in there for a good 10 minutes, and came out with my confused face. She was just laughing, and then I realized the misunderstanding. I think I ended up talking with her for 20 minutes, laughing about life mostly. One of the best parts was that the Katharina Fritsch "Rat King" is permanantly installed here. I learned about this in 8th grade during my research project! How awesome to see this giant (12 foot tall) piece, especially after so many years.

I had read before I went that the old Haas Type Foundry was in Münchenstein as well, aka the Birthplace of Helvetica. I remembered that I just needed to take one road and then turn left onto Gutenbergstrasse and it would be on my right. I failed to look at the distance of the walk, which I believe was actually a little over a mile away. About 10 minutes into my walk and after being passed by a five year old on a scooter, I asked an old man if Gutenbergstrasse was ahead. He spoke no English, but talked to me loudly in German, as if that would make me magically understand. I did get, though, that I needed to turn left and some point...which I already knew. He kept saying tram, but I couldn't figure out if he wanted me to take it or follow it. I said "danke," we parted, and I walked for another 10 minutes or so when I heard a yelling from the other side of the street. The old man was following me, making sure I made the turn at the right time! How sweet! I thought often WHY didn't I take the tram, especially as it was darkening, and I was passing many stops. Arrived at the old foundry and saw that it had become a kindergarten. 

I think I imagined that Max would just come out and give me a tour of the place... which doesn't even exist anymore... or at least find a job stick or a lost metal letter on the ground or something. But no. Just a lame-o kindergarten. I was a true stalker and took some pictures and looked in some windows. But I was just glad to see it. 

As I was walking away, I was attacked by a weiner dog, and his old man owner started laughing and speaking to me in German. After he realized I was American, we got to talking. He was born in France, works at Novartis, and had consistently traveled in Russia and Poland for work for 25 years. This man has quite the language talent! And he had been living in Münchenstein long enough to know people from the foundry! HOW COOL! He talked about the day that they moved out. AH! And then... he wanted to tell me a thing or two about American Politics. This was completely uncomfortable, but sincerely interesting to hear. All I could say (since he was clearly well-informed and I agreed with a lot that he had to say concerning Bushism) was "I hope you do not lump together the American people with American politics." He really wasn't concerned with what I had to say; he probably just wanted someone to talk to, and how often do you have an American roaming your streets in small town Münchenstein, anyways? But it was a great experience. I have been learning alot here about the European viewpoints of America. But that is for another day...

Friday night was the 25th Annual "Em Bebbi sy Jazz," which roughly translates as the "Basel-people's Jazz Festival," I think. The city was transformed! It hasn't been this crowded since the EuroCup. Small stages peppered the city, and there was food like you wouldn't believe. We have been having a cold spell, so I was at the festival in a t-shirt, sweater, and scarf, with jeans. It was so beautiful, seeing the nooks and crannies of the city, usually empty during the day, packed to the brim at night, lit up oh-so-romantically, and jazz music flowing from courtyard to courtyard. It was very dreamlike. I could have lived in those hours forever. There were all types of jazz, from quiet Miles Davis, to Duke, to trumpets gone wild, to Lawrence Welk, with dancing! There was one group called Ed Elastic that Laura and I saw that were phenomenal. So much energy and improv talent... they even had fireworks! 

Today, I was very lazy, capitalizing on the warm sunshine and comfort of no alarm clock. Yep, got out of bed at noon and loved it. Journeyed into the city after a delish omelette, and took some shots with my SLR. Check out this cute one!

Did a little looking and a little shopping, and sat by the river and watched the sun go down as I journaled. And good news! The hostel in Rome has my lost journal! It has been lost for two weeks now, and I sent them many emails, and the train station many emails, and got no response. Decided to break down and call the hostel... and they had it! Hopefully they will be mailing it soon.

Tired now. Tschüss.

Berl-inexplicable

Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening; wherever (whenever) you are, I am so happy you're here. I come to you from a simple Basel balcony, soaking up the fresh rain smell and drinking orange juice from the carton by candlelight. I am in a fleece right now, so it's hard to believe it's summer, and that it is quickly waning. I remember thinking, wow, it it'll be awhile until my parents arrive... it is now the middle of their European journey. One of the coolest things was that they packed a few bags for me! Mainly so that I can send some things home with them (my bag was 49.5lbs. on the way here, so it'll for sure be over on the way back), but also to restock my book supply, and to bring some American "delicacies" to my roommates here in die Schweiz. Check out these happy Swiss!  

Believe it or not, you cannot find white marshmallows here! A colored marshmallow is available in the candy store. Daniel picked some up on the way home from work, and we compared the two. I think I am still partial to the classic white. We turned off all the lights, and roasted marshmallows over candles in our dining room, holding them with corn-on-the-cob spikes. It was such an amazing time, and good bonding. Daniel said that he had only ever seen Pop-Tarts on TV. Wow. And, I must mention... we took a look at the nutrition facts... I haven't seen such high numbers in a long time. Also partook in some fluffernutter-making, watching the marshmallows grow to 5x their size in the microwave, nearing explosion. Oh, the small pleasures.

Friday, I had work off, and was able to travel to Berlin with my parents. What an awesome city! It is an oxymoron of a place, really, old and brimming with history, yet also young because of history... and its divisive destruction. In one area of the city, there are buildings with black sootmarks and patched checkered marble, where the evidence of a battered Berlin is still present, while in another area is donned by skyscrapers by signature architects trying to prove themselves... giant phallic symbols, really. 

After a quick flight, we had just a little time before our bike tour of the city, and guess where we went...

AAAH! So. Very. Awesome. This wasn't the Bauhaus building, but a fantastic museum documenting the design approach of the Bauhaus, and archiving its history that has become my present. Remember Sources second year? Remember J.A. Chewning's emphasis on the Good Design exhibition? Well, I was greeted with original documents from this, and my eyes lit up (they didn't light up like this when we had our quiz, that's for sure). A whole room of Breuer metal tubing chairs. There was early student work of grayscales and paint chips and bristol that sent shivers down my spine. Here they were, Gropius and Bill, Albers and Klee and Kandisky...all of these guys that are the Grandfathers of DAAP! We had such little time, (and let's face it, with the way I approach museums and my interest, I could have spent all day), but I am so glad I got to experience this Mecca. I literally felt like skipping down the street after seeing this. My heart was skipping, at least. 

The bike tour was awesome. I am not usually one for organized tours, but this was really great because the tour guide was young, and a history undergrad, architecture masters grad who knew his stuff. And not to mention whipping around the city by bike. It is actually embarrassing how much I had forgotten about the history of WWII and the Cold War, at one time pounded into my head with AP American History, but it was great to have someone there who could just tell it to you, and also point out the architectural details of the city. We visited the Reichstag, Brandenberg Tor, the Tiergarten, Hitler's Bunker (where Hitler took his life), what is left of the Berlin wall, Potsdamer Platz, the square where Hitler held his book burning, Checkpoint Charlie, the Hotel Adler (the hotel where Michael Jackson dangled his baby)... and many other historical (or in the case of MJ, random) landmarks of the city. There was an Egyptian musuem that had a neon light sign outside of it (behind some corinthian columns, an interesting mix) that read, "All Art Has Been Contemporary." I liked that.

Modern architecture I liked by IM Pei.

One of the most moving pieces was the Eisenmann memorial for the Jewish people of the Holocaust. The blocks differ in height; they begin just peering over the ground, and as you travel further into the memorial, the ground slopes downward and the blocks grow to tower above you. It is interesting, because similarly to how Hitler took power, the blocks seem harmless and manageable at first, and then before you know it, you're trapped and alone; overcome. 

Saturday morning, we went to Sachsenhausen concentration work camp. I cannot fully talk about it on a blog; it was too graphic. I can tell you though, that I had an intense feeling of guilt, just by trodding the same ground that was once ridden by death, and still feels darkly obliterated. I felt guilty of being part of a humanity that could commit such crime against its own. I began to see how very real this part of our history is... and then remembering that haenous crimes such as these are still happening today, with no erected memorials and no guided tours, as they have not ended yet. 

Our train to Orienenberg traveled the same tracks as the prisoners' trains did. We arrived at Tower A, the highest watchtower and gates to the camp. Here, the gates read:

"Work will set you free." If only they knew "free" was the last thing they would get. We went into some original barracks, completely overwhelming. They smelled like the 40s. Do you know what I mean? My arms went numb, and my heart hurt, bleeding tears. There were small museums inside the buildings with documents and pieces found at the site. There were stories begging to be read and remembered, as not to be repeated. And then there were the drawings and paintings. I think this is when I let my lip quiver and I surrendered to emotion. Some 2o year old kid like me, with much different scenes to paint. 

The guide, who was very good, by the way, asked us to congregate in the once common room so that she could tell us some more information about the time period. She asked if everyone was comfortable. Comfortable! And if we weren't, she could get us some wooden boxes to sit on. COMFORTABLE! Nothing would make this comfortable! And I hope it wasn't, for anyone. This feeling should never be comfortable. Never.

I would love to share more with you about this experience, one-on-one. Just ask me.

Berlin was a great experience, and I am so happy that I could take this trip and recall old facts and learn more. I am not sure if I could see myself living there, but it is a city full of hope, and will most certainly be different in the next 10 years, and again 20 years. Art (and time) will rebuild this city.

On Sunday evening, I made some traditional Swiss foods for my parents, and then we went to church at ICF. The sermon this week was about Matthew 28:19, "Go and make disciples of all nations..." I cannot tell you how much the words "all nations," "global," and "around the world" scream these days in praise songs and passages. People in Switzerland are on fire for God, too. Sometimes it is hard for me to grasp the idea of time passing in the U.S. while I am here, that the Swiss and the Americans are praising God simultaneously. How Freaking Awesome! To see God's church spread like wildfire around the world, and to see opportunities arise in my life to begin to share God "with all nations." I feel this calling, to reach out to others here and beyond! Now, I have no clue as to what this really entails, and I am not going to try and decipher it too much. Sometimes I get caught up in trying to plan, and trying to see how graphic design fits into all of this, but I know that God will lead if I will let Him. So much easier said than done, but I am excited to see where He takes me next.

Guten morgen, Guten tag, Guten abend. After a liter of orange juice, laundry washed and candles extinguished, I end this post with my sincere missing of you all. I love you and so does He.

Linds.

Roman Holiday

Hello! It is already Wednesday morning, and I have yet to share about my holiday in Rome (people here use 'holiday' as 'vacation.' I like it.). Since the Swiss celebrate their independence (or conglamoration of cantons, I guess) on August 1st, I was treated to an extra long weekend, and Steph proposed we go to Rome and the Vatican. No way I was turning that one down! I adequately prepped for my journey by listening to Dean Martin's song, "On an Evening in Roma," and my Italia! playlist in iTunes, before I took an overnight train from Basel to Roma. It was so nice, Laura walked me to the train and waved, "Au Revoir!" and "Bon Voyage!" to me! That was awesome.

The train ride was cramped but still wonderful. The motion of the train is supposed to be a soothing and tranquilizing sleep-inducer, but I definitely woke up every five minutes. I kept reminiscing of the summer after senior year, when I went with the Aschemeiers to France and Spain, with the Spanish Club trip... so many good memories that seem so long ago now. As we neared Rome during the night, I could feel the couchette getting hotter and hotter. As we stepped out of the train and into the Termini, the air was thick, and it was only 9am! Throughout the weekend, we found out that the reason Rome was so empty was because of this heat. The Romans flee the city, and the city is bequest to the tourists from colder regions.

Steph and I stayed at a beautiful hostel in the Trastevere area, which was a converted convent. With terra cotta floors, high, exposed beam ceilings, and on-the-ground beds (not bunk beds), it was so much better than I could have imagined. It was classic Italy. Steph commented that this is definitely the best hostel she's seen, so I know now to not set the bar this high for the next.

My overall impression of Rome was that it was more like Mexico than Florence. I am not sure if it was because I have been in clockwork Switzerland for such a long time or what, but Rome was very dirty, dusty, and chaotic. The Metro system was terribly late and mismarked, and jammed-packed with people. Everyone is so hot and sweaty, that you are just praying that no one's skin touches yours, that YOU don't even touch yours, but it is inevitable. The best part was turning every corner and seeing pages from my art history book. On the bus, in a split second, I saw Trajan's Column! It was so great, to see these timeless pieces in real life, in their natural setting.

There were so many favorites and jaw-droppers (THIS is in Rome?!?), but the Pantheon was one of the best. 

On the outside, it just looks old, with its brickwork and such, but then you walk in and see the light from the oculus, and the coffered ceiling, and it is a step back into time. I just kept thinking of the Titanic; wrong time period, wrong location, but it was that weird transition going in and out of the present, sinking back in time and majesty only to be reawoken by the Japanese videographer in front of you. At night, everything was lit up and people hung around the fountain outside, eating gelato and enjoying the street music. It was great... violinists and opera singers, and wonderful accordion players. I have not heard such good street musicians in a long time.

The Coliseum was a highlight as well. We took a tour during the day, and had a really great tour guide. I loved going on the tour and learning more about the cause and effect of architecture and Roman history, and the Roman thought behind death as a spectacle. It's great when you can see right in front of you the pieces of a once great empire, and hear the stories of how it was and how it became to be what it is today. I have fallen asleep within the first 10 minutes of "Gladiator" both times it was on, mostly because I don't care for period films, but now I am inspired to watch. The Arches of Constantine and Arches of Titus were also nearby (I just kept thinking, thank you Cindy Damschroeder!), and the Forum of more Roman ruins (sometime I think, if Rome is all ruins, is it progressing at all or just preserving?)

Saw the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, the Ecstasy of St. Theresa, the Caravaggio that I painted for Homecoming so many years back, and Santa Maria Maggiore.

We got to see many many churches and monuments, knowing somewhat the history, but more just soaking up the atmosphere of the city than going too deep into the history.

Met Livia on the train, who is from Stockholm, visiting her father in Rome.

It is just so awesome to meet random people like this, I think, just to see people from all walks-of-life, and hear their perspective on the world. We met up with her Saturday evening for dinner and gelato. The gelato place that she took us to had 60+ flavors of gelato. So overwhelming. And they all looked so good! But don't worry, I made the right choice of frutti di bosco, the darkest darkest chocolate, and coffee. Sorry Graeter's, Rome has you beat.

On Sunday we went to the Vatican. Sadly, the Sistene Chapel was closed. It is closed every Sunday, and we didn't know this. At first, I was seriously disappointed, but then I realized that I was still so happy for this chance to go to Rome, and that I would live. Still got to see Saint Peter's, and Michelangelo's Pieta. Everything was very ornate (It's so sad, because your brain sort of goes on overload, and you can't digest all the work that goes into each of these cathedrals), and oddly, a lot small than I imagined. We saw the Swiss guards, in their jester-like attire, but the Pope was ironically in Switzerland in the Alps on holiday. He did the blessing in Switzerland, and it was televised and shown on the big TV screens in the open space in front of the cathedral (kind of an oxymoron, these ancient pieces of architecture and 21st century screens). As Steph put it, we were teleblessed. Check out this crazy photo from inside St. Peter's:

I cannot tell you how great it was to finally understand the majority of signage, and to be able to speak with less hesitation (Katie K., I wish you were here to bust my butt into remembering more from our Italian class). In the beginning, I was combining Swiss German with Italian and English, which even I didn't understand, but by the end I was using quello and questo and wishing that Basel spoke Italian too.

Some things that I really loved about Rome:

–the deep rust orange that was everywhere, real patina, crumbling plaster

–the FOOD!

–all of the water. There were fountains everywhere!

–women in heels (the Swiss women are lazy and go for comfort over flash)

–I didn't get pickpocketed (click for why)

By the end of the trip, I concluded that although Rome is nice, Florence is the prime Italian destination, and could return to Florence again and again, whereas Rome not so much. And, truth be told, I may like Switzerland more than Italy these days...gasp!!! Italian food will always win, but I feel like I belong in Switzerland, I at home here.

On the way back on the train, I slept so well. I think just from being worn out and sunburnt, I was exhausted. I woke up in the morning with the conductor giving me the warning that my stop was approaching, and looked outside, and got to sip espresso with the sunrise over the mountains and Lake Thun. I did it! A successful sunrise! Finally!!!

After a nasty fall down two flights of stairs in the bahnhof (literally, the whole train station was quiet and looking at me as I am sprawled in disarray and praying that the prosecco that I bought was not exploding all over me in my backpack. One of the most painful experiences. But you just get up and pretend that you don't want to cry and hold your legs until they stop pulsating.), I went home and got ready for a full day of work. Yep. That was one sentence.

Monday evening I watched some competitive beach volleyball in Barfüsserplatz, and then went to Bible study in Liestal, despite being terribly tired and in pain. It was great to see everyone, and eat some great homemade sushi (way too expensive to have out here). And had a great evening with the roommates afterwards, just sitting on the balcony and planning some time that we can all go to the mountains together. I love my roommates! So cheesy, but I seriously just want to hug them all the time. Tonight, Roger, Laura, and I went for a walk around the city, laughing and chatting. Ah, the life.

Ok, I'm tired and you are probably sick of skimming/reading. Excited to see my parents on Thursday! And to go to Berlin this weekend! I hope life is treating you well. I will now leave you to some final pictures of Rome... love Linds.

Imitation ontop authenticity.

Reporter: Which of the cities visited did Your Highness enjoy the most?

Princess Ann: Each in its own way, was unforgettable. It would be difficult to...Rome! By all means, Rome! I will cherish my visit here in memory as long as I live.

—Roman Holiday, 1953