the pope's palace

Vatican Day

7:45 - Woke up way too early

8:25 - Depart

8:35 - 1st ride on Rome's metro

9:05 - Enter Vatican's piazza & getting in line for the Basilica - metal detectors!

9:15 - Show up late to mass... how typically Catholic!

9:45 - Mass ends. Italian or Latin? My guess is Italian

10:00 - Light shines down on the ladies & I take pics. Lots of wandering to view mosaics, sculptures, and other cool art

10:15 - The waxing machine almost runs me over

10:30 - Kristin and Lily touch St. Pete's lucky toes

10:45 - Walk around Bernini's Bronze Baldacchino. The bronze was stolen from the Pantheon. Supposedly St. Pete is buried beneath it

11:05 - We buy official Vatican rosaries - we liked the photos of Pope John Paul II better than his ugliness, Benedict XVI

11:15 - Climbed the 551 steps to the top of St. Pete's Basilica, opting out of the life despite Kristin's whining and wussiness. Hehe...

11:30 - Our sweat dried once we reached the top. We were blessed with glorious views!

12:15 - Ate lunch at Franchi's - a picnic-like restaurant. I had a delicious tomato, rice, and potato antipasto with a panini & red wine. Mmm...

12:45 - Wandered over to the fresh fruit market, where Kristin passes out for a 1/2 hour. Lily journaled, and I read more of Stieg Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

1:15 - We head back to the Vatican to get in the ridiculously long line

1:30 - We play Rage while standing. It required some intense coordination to balance the cards, score sheet, walking, & suffering the heat

2:15 - Old, cantankerous lady tries to shove us out of the line & butt in front of us. I step in & take charge, which leads to a stare down contest. I suggest she take a pre-booked tour to "officially" jump queue. She backs down only to begin her passive-aggressive approach to move up the line, one-family-member-at-a-time method. "Excuse me, my family is up ahead..." :(

3:00 - Enter the Vatican museum! A/C!!!

3-4:30 - We navigated the sea of endless people in the overcrowded, but priceless museum. One of my favorite parts were Rafael's frescoes

The Sistine Chapel

4:30-5:15 - Hangout at the cafe, play Rage, & then browse through the museum gift shop

5:30 - Send 2 postcards via the Vatican's postal service

5:45 - Walk past Rome's castle. Noted the very cool bridge called Ponte Sant' Angelo

6:00 - Pantheon! An astounding structure built nearly 2,800 years ago, & is considered one of ancient Rome's most magnificent structures. I can see why!

The Pantheon's dome

7:30 - Dinner at an unnamed restaurant, simply known as #18/19 on Via del Governo Vecchio. Delicious!

9:00 - Wander the streets and explore the cool shops while drinking beer & eating gelato. 2 shops of note: nostalgic wooden toys & pop culture books on music, movies, and art

9:45 - Hanging out at Plaza Navona - we heard opera, saw breakdancers, listened to funky bottle music blowers, & watched various artists do their work, which included a spray paint artist

11:00 - Finally catch the metro back "home"

Verdict: A good day! :)

visiting the ancients

A day in Roma

1. Breakfast at a nearby cafe. The man owner was funny, and we saw 2 Italian dads taking care of their babies
2. The Colosseum! However, we actually bought tickets to Palatino Hill, the Forum, and the Stadium (12 Euros). All areas needed signs, and the info was completely lacking. Everything was disorganized chaos. Still, it felt like an epic experience once we were inside the sites


smoke break for the centurion

Saturn's temple - or what's left of it!
3. Lunch at the Pizza Forum. We gorged ourselves
4. San Clementine Basilica! It was built in stages, one building on top of the other. First it was the Mithras Temple from the 2nd century BC. Then Christians arrived and built a church on the temple in the 4th century, where Saint Cyril has his remains. Finally, the basilica was constructed on top of that. Overall, it was an amazing site! The temperature was cool and there is an underground spring running throughout the site
5. Church di Santa Maria in Cosmedin. It was a Greek-Catholic church, which resulted from a schism and the church of Byzantium... or something like that. At this church was the Boca dela Verita. Legend has it that the stone mouth will bite down if someone is telling a lie. To perpetuate this legend, priests would occasionally put scorpions inside the mouth
The Boca claims another victim!
6. Capitoline Hill. This is and was the government center. Here we met Ryan Balch, an ultimate player, currently giving student tours in Rome. He used to play for Chain Lightning in Atlanta, and he knows all sorts of mutual acquaintances between Lily, Kristin, and me. He gave us a handful of recommendations - all of which turned out awesome, especially the food recs!
7. The 3D church fresco on the ceiling of Chiesa del Gesu. It was beautiful, ornate, and quite intriguing to look at
8. Dar Poeta restaurant! It was delicious, hip, and had a crazy dessert - a calzone filled with ricotta and nutella. We were stuffed, and by the time we left the wait outside was about an hour

Conclusions

It was a sensational day, filled with history and framed with good food! Also, I'm really glad to be a part of the ultimate community. People in it are extremely friendly (most always), and it has shown me how small the world is within this circle.

Lido beach and leaving Venice

Last day in Venice, concluding the especially lazy portion of our trip. Fittingly, we made an excursion to Lido Island, which houses Venice's only beaches. It was amazing that the water was fairly clean considering the heavy boat traffic everywhere else.

Lido highlights and details:

• soft, black sand
• plenty of beach
• free! :)
• we played a disc game in the water called "flutter guts" and learned that I'm a ninja at the game, easily winning 3 in-a-row, regardless of the partner I had
• people watching was quite interesting - people of all sorts, including a wide range of topless women (though 75% were large, older, and extremely tan)

After a shorter time than desired, we trekked back to Venice and the train station. While there, 3 sad things happened:

1. Our stored bags cost the 6 hour rate even though they were stored 5 hours and 4 minutes
2. No gelato at the train station
3. We had to say goodbye to Jonny, whom has to return to work :(

Few entertaining things have happened on the train with the exception of seat swapping due to so many people either not checking their tickets or stealing better seats (which we also attempted to do and succeeded at for the first 90 minutes of the ride).

A glass monument

The handmade masks of Venice - we bought a magnet version

glass blowing on murano

Murano Island

Lots of handmade and blown glass. It was a lazy day of strolling, browsing amongst the stores, eating gelato, playing cards, & checking out the glass museum. The museum told us about the process of glass-making and housed examples from as early as the 1st century. However, it seems the heyday of beautiful pieces came from the 18th century, all starting with Guiseppi Brianti. Unfortunately, the day was blistering hot, and the museum was the equivalent of a glass kiln. We retired to a nearby cafe with A/C and played Rage for an hour or two.

We eventually caught a boat back to Venice and then our hotel for an early evening. Just before we fell asleep, we decided we needed pizza. Fortunately, the hotel restaurant was able to provide us with 2 such pizzas for only 10 Euros, and it only took 5 MINUTES to prepare. No joke!

Rage, the card game of aggression and fun

outside the glass museum on murano island

a glass spider

glass fish in a glass bowl with glass bubbles = skill

door to a glass showroom on murano island

gelato with the doges

We wandered around Venice, getting lost/exploring.

Highlights:

1. Gelato = yummy, yummy!
2. Basilica du San Marco - free, beautiful, girls used red napkin/cloths to cover shoulders
3. More gelato
4. 2 Euro bottle of wine
5. Euchre in the park. Local drunk watches nearby while singing for us
6. Doge's Palace...

• not free unfortunately
• audio guide was a rip off
• doges tended to have little ruling power and were basically under house arrest unless they could gather their 6-man posse
• most of the decorations were absolutely beautiful. However, most were not original to the rooms except for the fire places
• venetian aristocracy = a "system of self-celebration"
• palace also included a prison. The prisoners' final glimpse of freedom took place through the windows of the "bridge of sighs"
• boasts the largest horizontal painting/portrait in the world
• one doge committed treason & his portrait has a black cloth covering it. Also, all history of him was supposedly erased to help people forget him

the bridge of sighs - under renovation

view from the bridge of sighs

listening to the crappy audio guide

in front of the doges palace

basilica du san marco

gelato cone

gelato for the cone

lots of cheap, delicious italian wine

the gandalas - cost 100 euros per hour. yikes!

Happy 3rd Anniversary!

Today is our 3rd anniversary... Yay!!!

Most of our anniversary was spent traveling to Venice, but we made the most of it - reading, playing games, chatting, & catching up on sleep.

Hotel Paladio

It was difficult to find, but mostly because of Jon and me. (i.e. we got off the bus much too early and walked the wrong direction.) Eventually, we arrive to find:

• Clean and tidy room
• A/C, but weak
• 4 single beds, but we can push them together

Venice

Our first views of it are glorious! It's beautiful, packed with people, and fascinating. There's really nothing like it. We had a delicious Italian dinner to celebrate not only our anniversary, but also Lily's 26th birthday. Cost of a bottle of wine IN the restaurant: only 7 Euros

anniversary dinner

anniversary roses

a typical venitian canal

Schornbrunn Palace and Prater Amusement Park

It's been a wonderful day around Vienna! Our two main stops have been the Naschmarkt outdoor market & the Schloss Schornbrunn. The market was typical, but fun. It was the first time in Vienna that we've seen more than a handful of non-westerners. Most of the vendors seemed Lebanese.

Best part of the market: eating fresh falafel sandwiches from Dr. Falafel. He also sold a delicious pomegranate wine that we sampled.

The rest of the day centered around the Palace Schornbrunn. First, it was HUGE! The inside rooms were ornately decorated, & we heard more details than anticipated. Here's some that I recall...

• Franz Josef - symbol of supreme awesomeness. He woke at 4am & worked until he literally had no more energy. He welcomed all sorts of visitors to hear their opinions, complaints, praises, etc. & supposedly NEVER forgot a face. He was utterly devoted to his wife. Lived "modestly" despite the richly decorated palace, well-tended gardens (labyrinth included), serving staff, & 6-course meals each dinner
• "Sisi" - Wife of Franz Josef. Apparently not as devoted to him as he was to her. I quote, "I do not believe in the antiquated institution of marriage, & I have come to look upon my past 30 years of marriage with regret." OUCH! Sucks for Franz.
• Sisi also... traveled extensively, hated her mother-in-law, was anorexic, and spent most days working on her beauty
• Maria Teresse - Revered as a strong, wise, and diplomatic queen. She decorated much of the palace and kept much of the Austrian landholdings in tact when other royal families tried to steal them during a time of political turmoil.
• Difficult things for a queen... could not marry for love, but for political reasons, married at 15 or 16, was essentially a baby-making machine - producing as many heirs to the throne as possible (one queen had 16 kids! - maybe Maria Teresse)

Still, I concluded that "Sisi" was essentially a stuck-up brat that didn't appreciate most of the benefits that came with royalty.

On to the Prater! It's an amusement park that's open every day & night within the city. We checked out a few rides, but kept it to a minimum b/c of the high cost. There wasn't an entrance fee, but rather a pay-per-ride policy.

Prater highlights:

1. Kristin and Lily experienced a quasi-slingshot/bungee jump
2. Glorious view from the "swings" ride... perhaps the tallest structure in Vienna
3. Trampolines = Kristin & I are pro
4. Extasy ride. Spins, sideways, upside down, & changes direction. Strobes, fog, & extremely loud music contributed to Lily puking later that evening. However, it was probably exacerbated by mild food poisoning

Other fun memories:

• Frisbee toss in the park
• "bubble tea"
• Learning to make apple strudel
• Playing in the various labyrinths - the Frankes climbed better than the Cater-Huangs!

Dr. Falafel's pomegranate wine

making apple strudel

in the labyrinth

more labyrinth

slingshot/bungee

the swing ride with a view

ninja jump

backflip pro

A typical Vienna day

We've been touring around the inner ring today, and here's a rough itinerary.

1. Breakfast of pastries & coffee. Lily found a candied and glazed mosquito on hers :(
2. We found the Der Anker clock. Came back at noon to watch the procession of political and other famous people while various genres of organ music, representing the figure's respective era, played in the background
3. Explored the Stephensdom Church. Climbed 343 spiral stairs to the top & experienced glorious views of Vienna
4. Bought tickets to a full on orchestra concert featuring Mozart. The ticket sellers were even dressed up in period costumes
5. Saw a yellow Lotus
6. Found a cafe and tasted a delicious drink (fruchtsirup) - like a milkshake, but not
7. Viennese food at the Esterhauzy-Keller & sampled some delicious wine
8. Mu Mok Modern Art Museum... random stuff! Favorite displays were the light exhibit & and the car exhibit. Worst things I saw: a single brick on display & empty plexiglass mounted on the wall. The museum was weird, but occasionally fun
9. Trip to Billa grocery
10. Mozart concert at the Konzerthaus, conveniently located next to the sand volleyball beer garden - where the real party was at
11. Home-cooked dinner of pasta, watermelon, & red wine

jon made me do this

the church in central Vienna

jon cater & lily huang

we climbed to the top of this - 343 stairs!

modern art with a hottie

disco car

mozart - in costume

Vienna meets World Cup final

In Vienna, and our hostel is great! Spacious, private toilet, kitchen, and dining table. It's part of a group called "Apartments in Vienna," and its only 18 Euros per person, per night.

Other plusses...

• cool (both popular definitions) courtyard
• free wifi
• free laundry
• coffee and beer available
• located near all the fun bars as well as some historical landmarks

The downsides...

• super warm - no a/c or fan
• one double bed and two, single beds for the 4 of us
• light streams into the room at 6am, and there are no substantial curtains
• awkward toilet; I quote Jon Cater: "It's like getting into a tiny sports car, but worse."

Weird things...

• toilet (see above)
• elevated shower
• tiered flooring of 1-2" in between each room
• hot/cold H20 reversed
• 5 types of recycling, but no rubbish bin

World Cup...

We watched the final game of the world cup last night at Pickwick's English Pub. Spain vs. Netherlands. Both are very talented teams, and the bar was equally divided in fans. Here's a quick play-by-play of the game:

1. Netherlands plays great defense (with the exception of 1 karate kick to the chest)
2. Spain dives and fakes injury
3. Netherlands receives a yellow card
4. Repeat steps 1-3

After a full 90 minutes and 2 15-minute overtimes, Spain finally scores at minute 116. Holland can't score in the final 4 mintues, and Spain wins the 2010 World Cup. However, it was a dirty game, and I just don't feel satisfied at the end. Kristin said, "I don't like games where the cheater is rewarded."

Jon, Lily, Kristin, and I concluded ultimate is by far the superior sport, and refs should never be introduced to the game.

The 5 story club

Last night we capped off the world's tournament with a trip to the 5-level club in downtown Prague. We arrived around 11:30 to see a huge line littered with disc players. Thankfully, dress code was not an issue, and the line moved at a rapid pace. Inside the Karlovy Lazne (5-level) Club were 5 different floors of music and aesthetic appeal. Descriptions are as follows:

• Level 1: Radio mix floor. Came with its own pole dancer
• Level 2: House music to the extreme. Featured strobes, smoke, and eye lasers emitting from a nude statue. Oh, and black lights too
• Level 3: Oldies/disco music. Definitely the gay floor. Literally, we walked in on people getting down to "It's Raining Men"
• Level 4: I quote, "The Black Music Floor." Basically, top 40 R&B (i.e. Black Eyed Peas). Most disc players were crammed onto that floor
• Level 5: Chill floor with a DJ. It was mainly designed to drink, talk, and chill on couches

NOTE about level 3: Strangely, this floor also had a pole dancer that was clearly not for the gay couples. In our brief moment in the room, the dancer not-so-casually checked her watch. Wow.

Overall, it was a fun night... probably one of the best club experiences I've had yet.

Today we're traveling to Vienna via train with Jon Cater and Lily Huang. It should be a fun wee with them!

on the st. charles bridge

the 5 story club was not far from here

WUCC updates

Today team China won their first game! They beat the Belgium Mooncatchers 14-7. It wasn't the most spirited of games due to the abundance of calls. However, China did play better overall, and they deserved the win.

I've been taking photos... it's been fun and interesting, but it sucks not being able to play!

The women's team is still struggling. Their closest game so far was 17-9 against Russia's "Cosmis Girls." Results so far...

Men's games

• Colombia Euphoria 17, China 7
• Texas Double Wide 17, China 7
• Italy Cota 14, China 12
• Prague Silence 13, China 5
• China 14, Belgium Mooncatchers 7

Women's games

• Japan Huck 17, China 2
• Russia Cosmic Girls 17, China 9
• San Francisco Fury 17, China 1
• Denmark Mermaids 14, China 7
• Russia Brilliant 15, China 6
• Quebec QUB 13, China 3

Good luck teams!

team china with colombia

Club Worlds, Day 1

We're at the World's ultimate tournament!!! WUCC 2010!!! It's been a crazy adventure in Prague so far, not crazy on the bizarre sense, but crazy to think of the absurd amount of disc stuff simultaneously happening in the location.

The numbers...

• about 140 teams
• over 3000 players
• 32 fields to play on
• 24 China mens players
• 16 China womens players
• 1 giant party in Prague (Praha)

China Open had a rough start to the tournament. We psyched ourselves out and made many unforced errors. Oh well, there are more games for us to pull ourselves together and chalk up a win. Good luck China!

The Stag Party

We left ridiculously early for the train to Munich, successfully switched on a train bound for Prague. Our compartment reminds me of Harry Potter, as if I were bound for Hogwarts. However, I have yet to see any chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts every flavour beans, or butterbeer on the train. How sad!

Stag Party...

Yep. A large group of German guys boarded the train and took over the aisles. There's lots of beer, loud music, and the bachelor is dressed in lederhosen, leg warmers, and a funny hat. The guy is getting married in 2 weeks, and they're celebrating with a trip to Prague to watch the world cup game (Germany vs. Argentina). The whole scenario is hilarious to watch. Although, I just witnessed the groom-to-be snort some cocaine. No kidding!

So what's the most sensible thing to do? Buy the guy and some others a shot from the drink cart! Kristin and I toasted them (prost!) and made a little small talk. We also enjoyed a couple of beers with them (at 10:45am) before we went back to reading, while they set about finding a couple of girls to sign their names on the butt cheeks of the bachelor. Since then, it's just been more music, beer, and many rounds of cheering, chanting, and merriment. :)

the stag party bachelor