Europe in 2 Weeks: Rome 9:03 PM

Two weeks is really too short a time to see Western Europe, but given the limited time I had, I really had to figure out a way to see all the cities on my priority list. Went to 4 major ones (five, if you count Versailles) in that short time frame, so am pretty happy with myself for coming up with a jam-packed albeit manageable itinerary.

Rome was the first city I wanted to go to after my business trip in Madrid. There was no way I was going to Europe without Rome on my must-see list. I only had 2 full days to see the city, which, on hindsight, should have been at the very least, 3 days.

Unfortunately, my first impression of Rome wasn't that good. The van shuttle was prompt in picking me up from Fiumicino Airport, but it took 2-3 hours for me to reach my hotel because of horrendous traffic. And I thought Manila traffic was bad. When in Rome, the locals learn to accept the traffic situation by shrugging their shoulders and calling the whole thing a "beautiful mess." I was hardly surprised. After all, don't Italians subscribe to the whole "that's life" school of thought?

I started to feel better when I got to check in at this charming little hotel called Hotel San Remo, which is walking distance from Rome's Termini Station, the city's main transport hub for all those traveling by train, bus and the subway. (Tip: When in Rome, get a hotel near Termini Station. It's the perfect reference point when you're lost or when you're trying to figure out how to go from place to place. Plus, the accommodations in this part of the city are very affordable.)

Because I was set back by 3 hours from the original plan on my obsessive-compulsive travel itinerary, I had to make adjustments. But I pretty much got to do what I wanted to anyway in Rome, which were the following:

1. See the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. I'm a big fan of ruins, and spending 4 hours in the midst of these crumbling, historic sites was just amazing. I was a bit unlucky to deal with an overcast sky while taking photos, but the pictures came out beautifully nevertheless.

on Palatine Hill, where the city of Rome was supposedly founded

a view of the Colosseum from Palatine Hill

bas relief from the Arch of Titus: the sacking of Jerusalem by the Romans

flowers are brought daily to Julius Caesar's tomb

The Temple of Vesta, ancient Rome's sacred spot. This once-circular shrine was where the flame of Rome was kept burning day and night.

The Arch of Constantine, the emperor who made Christianity the state religion of the empire.

House of the Vestal Virgins

Temple of Castor and Pollux

bas relief on the Arch of Septimius Severus

more well-preserved reliefs on the Arch of Septimius Severus

the Roman Forum

a toddler walking down the ancient Roman Forum path

Temple of Saturn

more of the Arch of Septimius Severus (obviously a big favorite of mine)

the belly of the Colosseum, where the gladiators were kept prior to a fight

Romans taking a break?

the inside of the Colosseum

2. Visited the Colosseum again on my second day just to sit on a bench in front of this massive monument and have a quiet lunch while staring at it. It was my biggest thrill actually just to look up at it and take it all in for a full hour while munching on my pizza. Definitely one of the things I had to do before I die.

a lunch with a view

a happy camper in Rome!

3. A one-mile nighttime walk across the city center, as recommended by Rick Steves in his guidebook on Italy. Rome looked absolutely stunning at night, especially Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon. Again, I bought pizza (the mushroom ones that you could buy on the street were really yummy and cost only 2-4 euros depending on the size) and sat on some fountain area overlooking the Pantheon.

the Trevi Fountain

at the Spanish Steps

4. Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. Of course, I had to go here. Even if I wasn't a totally devoted Roman Catholic (I don't go to Mass, except on special days like Christmas and Holy Week), much to my annoyance, I felt tears welling up when I entered St. Peter's Basilica. Vatican really gives you that kind of feeling, I suppose. It just overwhelms you.

And needless to say, I was gaping unabashedly as I stared up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel for a full 30 minutes. All your life, you get to see photos of the Sistine Chapel in art books, in school text books and even on TV, and you pretty much casually accept the fact that famous artists like Michaelangelo are just brilliant, period. But being inside the Sistine Chapel and having my eyes feast (there's no other word for it) on the ceiling artwork made me realize how heart-stoppingly brilliant Michaelangelo was. Never mind if I was getting a bad crick in the neck for staring upwards for too long--how many times in my life will I get to see the Sistine anyway?

Someone once said if something that you're looking at makes your heart skip a beat, then that's a real work of art. That pretty much defines my Sistine Chapel experience.

A stolen shot of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling (photos weren't allowed). Yup, that's my forehead on the upper right corner.

St. Peter's Basilica is just huge, huge, HUGE. Several churches can actually fit inside.

dome of St. Peter's Basilica

Michaelangelo's 'Pieta' protected by bulletproof glass. Years ago, some psycho started hacking away at it--hence the current protective measures.

St. Peter's Square

5. My first European train ride. Being a virgin in train traveling, I made sure to be at Termini Station for 1.5 hours before my train ride to Florence. Was nervous about missing my train; it turns out I had nothing to fear as traveling by train is one of the easiest things ever. All I had to look for was my train's platform--and that's it.

Because I was super early, I spent my time drinking a cup of authentic Italian cappuccino while people-watching inside the station. Termini is one of the busiest places ever, and I amused myself by just looking at the people rushing past me and staring up at the electronic departures and arrivals board. There were dozens and dozens of cities being flashed on screen at any given point in time, and it made me realize how connected most of, if not all, the cities in Europe were.

I was thinking wistfully to myself at that moment that if I had the luxury of time and money, I'd just randomly pick a train and see where it'll lead me, whether somewhere up north such as Copenhagen, or some place rustic like Verona or Provence, or even somewhere in Eastern Europe, like Prague (another dream destination).

Rome's busy Termini Station

waiting for my train

No wonder Italy remains to be one of the top destinations in Europe. You really can't get enough of it. I hope, if I'm lucky, to go back someday and see more of Rome and Tuscany.

Rome, March 21-22, 2010

Europe in 2 Weeks: Madrid 12:42 AM

I was able to post all my Europe pictures on my Facebook account. But just in case Facebook becomes as obsolete and baduy as Friendster in the next few years, I still have my blog where I can recall those excellent 14 days I spent in Europe.

Will try to post these in a series, and add as many captions as I can. Those of you who have seen these from my Facebook account can gladly skip all my Europe entries.

First stop was Madrid!

It's supposedly one of the warmest cities in Europe, but in 10-degree March weather, I begged to disagree. Was bunched up in my wool coat as I stomped around in my thermal socks and boots.  But cold weather aside, getting around this small city was pretty easy (thanks to Metro Madrid, this amazing iPod touch app that guided me through the city's mazelike subway system) and the people were always, always friendly. Of course, it also helped to try and speak a little Spanish with them. Armed with my faulty Spanish (the remnants of my foreign lang lessons back in college), I'd make an attempt to ask directions or order food, and the locals would always break into a smile and enthusiastically help me with my queries.

I was getting so used to going around the city on my own that I actually gave some tourists (who were totally unaware I wasn't a local) the directions to the Prado Museum. In basic Spanish.

The Royal Palace of Madrid

A street performer by the Royal Palace.

Some young people trying to earn a few euros by playing at the Palace grounds.

Where Jose Rizal used to 'hang out' with his revolutionary friends.  I felt proud that Spain paid tribute to the Philippine national hero!  

Met with my dear friend Marelle, who now works in Madrid, and she showed me where the yummiest tapas are. I still dream about this sometimes. 

the quirky Caixa Forum and its vertical garden

 Cuesta de Moyano, this charming outstretch of outdoor stalls selling secondhand books

in Cuesta de Moyano

I wanted to buy some art books but they were all in Spanish.  :(

Authentic churros from Chocolateria San Gines (est. since 1894)

in a typical pub where everyone's glued to the TV watching football while eating dinner

Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where Real Madrid plays

Plaza de Cibeles

Accidentally stumbled upon this peaceful little park, the Jardines de Sabatini,
which was right beside the Royal Palace.

Spring is coming soon to Madrid!

statue of Don Quixote

Kilometer Zero in Puerta del Sol--the center from which all distances in Spain are measured. Gina and her scruffy running shoes were here!

Botin, the world's oldest restaurant according to the Guinness Book of World Records

a street performance at Plaza del Sol

at the Reina Sofia, which houses modern art

watching a Buster Keaton silent movie at the Sofia

Nobody was allowed to take photos of Picasso's "Guernica" inside the gallery,
so I sneaked out and took a stolen shot from afar!

black-and-white photo exhibit at the Sofia

Oh hello there!

Prado Museum, the highlight of my Madrid trip.
Went here twice and still could not cover the entire collection.

Madrid, March 13-21, 2010.

my first Prezi 4:20 PM

Harnessing Social Media: UNICEF Philippines on Digital Engagement on Prezi

It's like having your first Lego set, only better--because you're not limited to working with just a few number of blocks.

This was something I worked on in time for the joint UNICEF Communication-Fundraising Regional Meeting last May. Marge and I had to present at the plenary session on harnessing social media for UNICEF advocacy and fundraising campaigns. I was bowled over when people came up to say they loved the presentation and even more so when they were asking me at cocktails later that evening how they could make a Prezi too. Got several raving emails afterwards from other colleagues, which was nice of them. But really, folks, it's just a simple presentation format that anyone can make right on Prezi.com.

I've always hated PowerPoint but even PPT, when used well, can serve its purpose as a multimedia presentation with a proper mix of text, pictures, audio & video. And it really felt like I was dying a slow, agonizing death every time I had to attend work-related conferences that had blocks of text on screen which other people considered already as a PowerPoint.

So to ensure I wasn't contributing to death by PowerPoint at the annual meeting in Thailand, I told Marge I wanted to prepare something different. My Prezi is pretty rough in many places (like the resolution of some images), but I like it, and am actually considering buying the Pro version. I was having a lot of fun making this Prezi. Hope you have loads of fun making yours as well!

Hello again, blog! 2:41 PM

I missed you! Haven't written in months. My bad.

Struggling with a lot of work. It's gotten so stressful, I've managed to read only one book in 3 months. And I'm not even finished with it. How f*cked up is that.

So the book in question is Tom Holland's Persian Fire, which is basically on the Persian-Greek wars in the 5th century (think 300 and all that). My friend Andy gave it to me while I was traveling in Europe last May. Greece wasn't really on my Europe itinerary (sad), but the book came as a nice surprise because I had actually forgotten to bring a book with me during my 2-week trip!

So it was a happy thing that I got something amazing to read at the airport and during the long-haul flights. Here's the blurb on the book:

In 480 BC, Xerxes, the King of Persia, led an invasion of mainland Greece. Its success should have been a formality. For seventy years, victory - rapid, spectacular victory - had seemed the birthright of the Persian Empire. In the space of a single generation, they had swept across the Near East, shattering ancient kingdoms, storming famous cities, putting together an empire which stretched from India to the shores of the Aegean. As a result of those conquests, Xerxes ruled as the most powerful man on the planet. Yet somehow, astonishingly, against the largest expeditionary force ever assembled, the Greeks of the mainland managed to hold out. The Persians were turned back. Greece remained free. Had the Greeks been defeated at Salamis, not only would the West have lost its first struggle for independence and survival, but it is unlikely that there would ever have been such and entity as the West at all.

I think I'm slowly moving into a non-fiction phase as I grow older. Not that I'm giving up altogether on fiction; it's still the bulk of my reads. But I guess I'm beginning to like non-fiction too. When it came to non-fiction, I used to read literary criticism and mythology books only, but now am reading stuff on history and science--so it's all good!

Okay, so it's final--I'm really going to Europe! 11:52 PM

The first leg of the trip is really all about business. I'm participating in the annual fundraising forum organized by UNICEF Geneva. This five-day forum promises to be really exciting; there's a whole slew of sessions that I want to cover but sadly enough, I can't divide myself into three (because there are 3 breakout sessions running simultaneously in the morning and in the afternoon).

I was also asked by Geneva to make a 10-minute presentation on the Philippine team's best practices on new media advocacy and fundraising, using social media and other online strategies. Gulp.

Am a little queasy about the thought of presenting to a large mix of colleagues coming from all parts of the world. Regional forums in Bangkok were my comfort zone; this is a different scene altogether. I sure hope that Philippines isn't the only one asked to present in this session. We're doing good in this new media/digital engagement area but there are other country offices like Malaysia and National Committees like the US and UK that are doing so very well in digital engagement.

Anyway, on to the personal stuff. Here's the plan for Europe. I had to construct a 14-page itinerary (yes, you read that right--14 pages) using Microsoft Excel to make a blow-by-blow, by-the-hour account of what I'm going to do, where I'm going, how I'm getting there, and how all this will cost me. It's still a running plan in the sense that I still have to include one more museum trip somewhere in the already jam-packed agenda plus a few more city sidetrips. I have a feeling I'd only be able to finalize the itinerary the night before I leave.

I managed to ask the office for an extra week off after the forum in Madrid. It only makes sense, in spite of the costs involved, to tour other places while I'm in Europe. Fixing my 14-day itinerary has been a fun but colossal undertaking. I had to book 3 plane flights, 3 hotels, 1 train ride, 4 airport shuttle transfers and a bunch of museums and tours.

I AM MAJORLY EXCITED. Here are the sites I'm going to:


MADRID (March 14-21)
*The forum runs from Monday afternoon (the 15th) to Friday (the 19th), so I still have enough time to go around Madrid.

The Royal Palace
Cibeles
The Prado Museum
The Reina Sofia Museum
CaixaForum
Templo de Debod
Gran Via
Botin
Puerto de Alcala
Madrid Cathedral and other churches
Plaza Mayor, La Puerta del Sol and other plazas
tapas bars (of course!)

The only thing missing here is a bull fight. Am still trying to see how I can fit THAT in.



ROME & FLORENCE (March 21-24)
*I wish I had enough time (and money!) to go around Italy more. There is so much to see! I struggled a lot, fixing this part of my trip, and I had to ensure that I was going to maximize my time in seeing all the sights on my priority list.

In Rome:
Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum
Pantheon
Vatican City (St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the rest of the Vatican Museums)
Piazza Navona
Piazza di Spagna
Trevi Fountain

If I have more time, will try and visit Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto.


In Florence:
Uffizi Gallery
Galleria dell Accademia
the Duomo
Duomo Museum
Baptistery
Orsanmichele
Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River
Piazza Signoria
Palazzo Vecchio

Note to self: Do not forget to eat gelato and sample the fresh local cuisine.



PARIS (March 24-27)
Notre Dame & Ile de la Cite
Saint Chapelle
Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees
special group tour on Ernest Hemingway's Paris (his old haunts in the Latin Quarter), plus places where George Orwell lived and where James Joyce wrote 'Ulysses' --> whee, this tour excites me so much!
St. Germain-des-Pres and Saint Sulpice (NO, I am not going to do some crappy Da Vinci Code tour)
The Louvre
Musee d' Orsay
Montmartre & the Sacre Couer
The Marais
side day trip to Versailles

*If I have more time, will try to visit the Paris Opera House and more of the Medieval Paris district.


UPDATE:
Ten minutes before publishing this post, I had just booked a museum ticket to see Michaelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. Hooray!

Tweedledum and Tweedledee 11:31 PM

Heehee. Cute but freaky concept art by Tim Burton. Kind of like the way Quentin Blake illustrates for Roald Dahl.

spring shopping 5:31 PM

I researched online and discovered that when it comes to weather, the month of March can be unpredictable in Countries X, Y & Z where I'm going. So I've decided to bring a variety of coats and jackets with me: my new gray wool coat from Zara, plus some old favorites like my light cotton plaid trench coat, a warm hooded sweatshirt, a white cardigan, a brown suede jacket--and my new black cotton jacket, again from Zara!

I just want to be prepared. I know it's going to be cold over there; it just really depends on the degree of coldness. Will just layer and layer to death until I'm sweating inside my thermal undergarments!

I've put a picture of my new jacket here because I'm so in love with the jacket sleeves. I'm not really a coat kind of girl (as I like to wear small tops and skirts in the office) so I didn't realize how fun it was to shop for thick coats and the like.

AND THE PRICES IN ZARA ARE REALLY AIN'T THAT BAD.

I'm still not saying where I'm going! Until like a few days before I fly out. Heehee.

bursting 9:32 PM

Yes, I am bursting with amazing news. But it'll have to wait. Like until March, when I'm sure it's proper to tell. Don't want to jinx anything.

(After reading the paragraph above, I realize people might read too much into it and think I'm pregnant. Nope, not that kind of news. Although I'm hoping a friend of mine will have that kind of news in the near future! Right, L?)

Anyway, my news has something to do with this huge work-related and personal event I've been preparing for, for the last couple of weeks, and although it's been tiring "work", I've been brimming with excitement all this time.

Haven't been writing lately, nor boxing. Running--just a little bit, but not enough for me to join races. I feel sad that I missed the Condura Run this year because of work and other pressing matters. Last year's Condura Run was such a joy for me.

Okay. Shit. Useless for me to talk about other things because I can hardly think of anything else except for this "amazing news" of mine.

Well, here's a hint. Bought a nice gray wool coat from Zara a few weeks back. It was on sale, and it's a pretty good deal, if I say so myself. (Besides, I never buy Zara clothes at regular price, anyway.) So...I canNOT wait to use it! =)

Okay, I will stop now. Must wait for March.