Linnea 'Ea' quilts...

Too bad that I was in Italy the second-to-last day the course was held. Actually, I missed the last day too, but that was because I had the flu... but the teacher suddenly had to call in for some sick-leave, so everyone else missed it too. Which was so not what I wanted. I wanted to make more stuff, and see how the salt-dough pieces I had made turned out. Anyway, today and next Monday one of the other teachers were there to supervise, so I went and got my salt-dough stuff and dropped off all the jewelry that I wanted to show in the course's own arts & crafts exhibition. They're in the photo here under; some buttons (both in Millefiori-technique and in plain modeling clay), two necklaces (one without a lock because I've run out of nice ones...) and two pair of earrings. Not much, but the rest of my pieces were... not up to such a standard that I would like to show off with them. In short - they're ugly . It's my technical term for things-I-did-some...

...but SHIT! Warm blackcurrant juice, meet laptop. Laptop, meet ZZZZZZIUMBCRASH! And then, say hello to Mr Paper. This was SO what I didn't need.

Italy day 1 review: Trip around city Didn't buy toothpaste! Italy day 2 review: Walk around town Fontana di trevi Piazza navona Ate at cemma on via de soldati Shop at spar - finally got toothpaste! And tetra pak wine in trip sizes... Villa borgese art and park. Took some videos! Getting thrown off the Spanish steps by civilian police! Eating bread, olives and wine in hotel room Italy day 3 review: Vatican city Art and sculptures Castel san angelo Haralds presskort Took some videos Italy day 4 review: Tivoli and villa d'este, but not for Micke! Micke's sick, he's got the flu! Got to stay at the hotel, recuperating. Ate at defronte à Italy day 5 review: Our trip to Nemi, before heading to the late evening flight. Monday rush hour (at 16) why are the roads so narrow? Is it because they don't need to plow any snow? Best mountain-valley view ever at Nemi. The crater is enormous. And for the first time the entire trip - me and Mike...

There's this joke that goes like this: ...so the undertaker said: "I wanted to change jobs and become a chimney sweeper, but I just couln't stop coffin! With this joke, I'm telling you folks that I'm getting back into bed. The way we're both coughing here at home, Micke and me, I guess it's only for our own good to just rest. Thank the goddess we did have enough energy to go shopping for toilet paper! Now that - and more tissue paper! - were sorely missed for 2 days... You should see my nose; it looks like it has had a bad acid peel. Drinking warm blackcurrant juice. It feels like it (and tea!) has been on the "menu" now for far too long.

There's something to be said for Italian design. The things we got to see in Rome, Tivoli and Nemi were certainly of divided styles. It struck me, while we were eating (oh dear goddess did we EAT in Italy!) that every country must have certain "designed things" that every family must sort of "just know about". In Finland, I think that happens to be Marimekko's 'Unikko'-flower pattern , Arabia/Kaj Frank's 'Teema' glasses and plates , and Fiskars' scissors . In Italy, I think I came across these pieces: I think I've seen them before somewhere, but I can't remember the brand. Look at the fork - I think it has those indentations on the sides to help you grab spagetti easier.

While we were in the Vatican, we managed to walk pass and through every single souvenir shop/stop that they had along the designated route. How typically Finnish: go on the tour and buy the souvenirs afterwards, not during. *sigh* But, we were graciously allowed to walk back - thanks to a really nice security guard - so I got to buy two rosaries (one bracelet for 3 € and one necklace for 8 €) for 11 €. Well, I'm not intending to offend any catholic prayer rituals here, but I bought them so that I could make my own "Roman prayer bracelet" when I got home. I took apart both today made charms from all but 40 of the beads and the bigger cross, made a chain from 58 pre-cut jump rings and a toggle clasp, and made a bracelet. My own memories of Rome and the Vatican, on one bracelet. Made from scratch. The original design idea came I got from the book " Mastering the Art of Beading " by Genevieve A Sterbenz. A most terrific book I might add. The piece I got ...

Iuh, it's raining! Lots! But, we'll be home in Turku in a few hours, so it's okay. Thank goodness we get to nap/sleep on the bus, me and Mikael. Finnish ground. More wet than the Italian one. Thank you Captain! Have a good night :)

After the guided tour around town, our lunch today was much more opulent than yesterday. At L'Osteria dè Memmo, at Via de Soldati, we once again got to eat a ton of food. To eat Italian is to eat a plate of vegetables/cold cuts, one plate of pasta and/or varm food, then dessert and for last some coffee. Basically, it was a buffé but we had plates going around our table. The interior of the restaurant. Brother (the vegetarian) getting different dishes that us. Mom looks weird behind him:P And I have GOT to learn how to take pretty food photos!

This was the final stop on our tour, the Piazza Navina. The three fountains here are truly splendid, and are all made by Bernini. While we're waiting for the others in the group to join up, we're resting our legs by the foot of the last fountain. It's been looking like it could rain any minute now - we get small raindrops all the time. First fountain. Second fountain And thirs fountain.

One thing about Rome is definitely true. It's noisy. The street outside our hotel window didn't quiet down until 3 am. I got so stressed out about this that I got up and put in earplugs at 24 o'clock. Oh, I just noticed the thing about 3 am because Micke got up and used the toilet. It's loud. Real loud. Bring earplugs. I guarantee you, they're so worth it. The sheets in the bed is slightly odd too, because my eyes are itching like crazy because of them. Must be the laundry detergent. Or the fact that the blanket is really dusty. My scout friends will understand when I say I have "Lyan-näsa". My nose is more a running faucet than the faucet in the bathroom. Oh, and about that. I'll tell you later about our claustophobic shower of torture. But I still like our hotel. Despite the dust. And everything. We're going for a guided tour today, which will take us from the Spanish stairs, via at least Partenon and then to the restaurant w...

And it's a Spar. Wee :) We found pasta, tomato sauce and wine. And EVERYTHING is cheaper than in Finland. Because you might need these when you get blisters? Downstairs was the wine room... And their pasta aisle was huuuuge. Even the storefronts are way nicer that in Finland. Mikael and Harald posing by the tomato sauce aisle. Because...pasta and tomato sauce!

Todays walkies brought us to the following sites. I'll post pictures in a later post. Fontana di Trevia Piazza del Parlamento with the parlament (nice doors with angel statues) Piazza Magdalena, then via Via Pantheon to Pantheon. Piazza della Minerva, then Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle, until we got to Piazza del Gesù. From there down to the magnifically white Il Vittorio. Then we wandered down the old road Via dei Fori Imperiali, saw a bit of Forum Romanum frim above and got to Colisseum. But Forum Romanum and Colosseum had already closed, so we instead braved Rome's "metropolitano" or underground. We took the metro from Colosseum to Termini (the great train station), and from there to Piazza di Spagna. During rush hour, non the less. We survived! And we had FUN! Just me, Micke and my brother Harald. After we had a pause back at the hotel, we ate very expensively at a place called Blanko. Iuh! Although the place was nice. Real nice. Did I mention it was pric...

Here's our hotel, the Hotel San Carlo. And here is the lunch restaurant. And my brother -once again- being an ass about me taking photos. Dessert was nice. Berry pie :) Sadly, we didn't get to eat outside. And more dessert?!!? Had a laugh at this, actually. Us getting ready for walk around town. Mmmm, pasta for lunch. And bruscetta. And coffee (espresso, for us from Finland) The restaurant was really lovely.

Huge, oppulent .... and wet. This artist was sketching the fountain and the people surrounding it. Opulent. Can't describe it anyway else.

Cabin crew... ready for take off! Mom looking like a big question mark at me taking photos. And Dad wondering about something in the tourist guide. "Complimentary seat", what is that supposed to mean?!? But one thing that was cool, was the fact that the TV/monitor showed us "where we were". No one asked "are we there yet?" And clouds from above are ALWAYS so pretty. And never you mind my silly brother, who didn't want to pose for a photo.

Getting to our hotel was exciting, because traffic in Rome is a mess... ... people triple-park their cars (because hey, everyone wants a car but there's not enough room for all of them). And the collective transportation are lacking in so many ways, but everyone still try to manage. Mostly by getting their own Vespas and Minis. More queuing. Morning traffic, gotta love it. Here's someone who doesn't mind. If you triple park there, how are people going to get out from that street?

... cabin crew, prepare to disarm doors... We've landed, safe and sound. Although no one clapped when we landed... Apparently it's no feat of skill to land safely anymore. Oh well. So this is what Italian ground looks like? And it's so...so...flat! And you can see so far!

"Helsinki Vantaa airport, safety check and waiting at gate 15" pretty much sums it up. We got up (way) too early, ate too little breakfast and rushed to airport. We check in ourselves, even though it took 3 min more because I didn't understand that the machine couldn't get the data straight from my passport. Standing at the safety check, the poor man standing behind me in the line pulled out his belt... whereupon his pants dropped! That was ... a first. And now we have to wait 1 h for our flight to leave. *sigh* Oh, well. Well, a pink one-piece isn't something you see every day at an airport. The store names at the air port were... odd to say the least. And then there was the queuing.  My fellow travelers: Mikael, my Dad, Birgitta, my Mom and my brother Harald. Guess what? MORE shops! And special design Teema-cups.at the cafe. Because the lack of breakfast were getting to us youngsters. Me, standing prettily in line. Mi...