God Bless the People

Blog March 7, 2010
"My idea of heaven still is to drive the gravel farm roads of Umbria and Tuscany, very pleasantly lost."
-Under the Tuscan Sun

Sooo... i have a lot to catch yall up on... sorry that I'm just now posting about what happened 3 weeks ago!

Last week:
Just a normal school week here in Italy! We had class on Monday, and on Tuesday we ventured to the ancient tombs of the Etruscans and the ancient port town of Ostia. This was actually really cool! It was amazing to learn how advanced the etruscans were for their time--1400 years before Christ! They had a commerce system, government system, plumbing system, and of course, entertainment system. They created an amphitheater that still has perfect revibe-- you can hear anything that is happening on the stage from the very top row. Their culture was very advanced also; they were obsessed with their looks--clothes, makeup, body. Anything gold, luxurious or valuable was very important and only possessed by the aristocratic class. One surprising thing about the Etruscans is how obsessed they were with cleanliness. The thermal baths (or "termal buts", as Cinzia calls them) were the place to be for politics and socializing. By keeping their bodies very clean, it was a lot harder for diseases and sickness to envelop the community like it so often did in other ancient civilizations. Also, the Etruscans were very conscious about their fitness. Men and women alike "worked out" and kept their bodies in very good shape. Obviously, this was a very wealthy community; they spent their days in the baths talking politics and working out to prepare for their hot date that night instead of spending all day hunting for their next meal. I am amazed about the Etruscan's day-to-day life. Especially when it i think about how years later, in the middle ages, people were suffering and dying from disease because they didn't have any perception of personal hygiene or sanitation. The city of Ostia is still in surprisingly good shape-- not many buildings still have roofs, but most walls are still standing, streets still paved with cobblestone, frescos of bright color still on the walls, restaurants with counters and wine jars still intact, and awesome mosaics still in perfect shape on the walls and floors. After our little tour through this ancient muddy town, we ventured to the ancient burial grounds of these Etruscan people. Most of the knowledge that exists today of the ancient Etruscans comes from what was found at their burial sights. Their perception of the afterlife was not a happy one. They were scared to death of what the afterlife might hold (no pun intended), so to keep their loved ones happy and content in the after-life, they built them a little city to live in. Because the burial grounds are built like a small city, it was even more creepy to walk through. The tombs are built out of mounds of earth with a cave-like inside. Each mound belonged to a family and consists of small rooms inside with "beds" of stone. When burying people, they didn't close them up in a box like we do today; they laid them out on a bed made out of straw and a stone slab. These stone beds even had pillows carved into them so to protect the comfort of their loved-one's neck. How thoughtful! Along with the body, families left anything and everything with their loved ones that would keep them entertained and happy in the afterlife. The most famous of these tombs consists of hunting tools, drinks, food, animals, and anything else you can think of that would have brought enjoyment to an ancient Etruscan. Isn't this so interesting? Well, I think it is!

That was Tuesday. Wednesday, we had another class day and then on Thursday, we were off to Pompei!! I had been looking forward to Pompei because I have heard so many cool things about it... but before we got there, we stopped at Montecassino. Montecassino is a monestary that sits on top of a huge hill overlooking a town of southern Italy. It is so beautiful! The building itself has been been rebuilt about a million times because it was destroyed in a lot of different wars and whatnot; but it was really interesting to see where monks live. The drive up the mountain was pretty scary-- the road was very narrow and we were in a huge bus. There were no guardrails or anything--just a huge dropoff to the town at the bottom. It felt like if too many of us were sitting on the same side of the bus, we would tip and fall to our deaths. This is a picture of Meaghan freaking out on the way up: When we finally got to the top, we had a tour with an Italian lady who obviously had better things to do than hang out with a bunch of American girls (she wasn't the sweetest). But the monastery itself was breathtaking. The weather that day was rainy, so I felt like we were floating in a city of the clouds. After a little while, the sky opened up and we got a sunny view of the landscape around us. The cathedral of the monastery was gorgeous-- the walls and floors were made of 80 different kinds of marble. The Cathedral also had a church below it that was covered 100% in colorful mosaics. This is my favorite church so far. The ceilings were low because it was in the “basement” but they were arched and covered in bright patterns of red, green blue, yellow, and gold tiles. It was dark down in the lower church, but the little candlelight and sunlight reflected off of the shiny gold tiles made everything look a little brighter. The staircases going up and down between the Cathedral and the lower church were narrow and had low ceilings which were also covered in mosaics with a sky design of rich blue and gold. It was absolutely beautiful! Before We left Montecassino, I made sure to get “monkmade” chocolate… Best chocolate EVER!!!... In case you didn’t know, I have become a chocolate connoisseur since my arrival in Italy. I want it all the time… And I do have it pretty much all the time. Actually, I finished off another bar just a couple minutes ago. My favorite kind is dark chocolate with hazelnuts… mmmmmm… OK, on the Pompeii. Pompeii upon arrival was not impressive at all. The area around the ancient city is filled with street vendors selling snow globes, keychains, figurines, and t-shirts. Not my style. And all the food at the touristy restaurants is gross and overpriced. So, to say the least, I was not impressed with my first impression. But once we entered the actual city, it wasn’t that bad. It was still very tourist-friendly, but I learned so much that I didn’t care about all of the Asians walking around.

Sidenote: Asians are EVERYWHERE in Italy! But, not the kind commonly seen in NYC. They are all so beautiful! Well, at least the girls.. I don’t really notice the guys. They are always dressed very eclectically and colorfully. They sure do love to travel. Our tour guide in Pompeii, Stephano, made a funny comment about the Asians. He was explaining the importance of the main town square and all the things that used to happen there. He said, “this area used to be filled with people, like it is now… But they weren’t Japanese”. This was funny but true. Maybe we should learn something from the funny Japanese who throw up the peace sign in every picture—world travel isn’t just a leisurely activity, but a learning experience. I’m sure the Asians that travel to the US know more about our country than we do. When American's travel, all they want is the hard-rock cafe t-shirt.

Learning about Pompeii was so awesome! Here are some fun facts to catch you up on the city destroyed:

*Did you know that hot liquid magma isn’t what actually destroyed the city? When Mt. Vesuvius erupted, a thick cloud of dust, ash, and lava gasses covered the city. When the cloud met with the cool air, the gasses hardened into small porous stones that “rained” from the sky. They fell on the city for three days and covered the ground and buildings. The people in the city died from either a building collapsing on top of them, or suffocation from the thick gasses and ash-filled air.
*Did you know that the whole city didn’t die? Because the cloud covered the town for so long, most of the people left to find safety somewhere else. 20,000 people originally lived in the city, but only about 2,000 people died there.
*Did you know that Pompeii stayed covered by rock for 1300 long years?
*Did you know that the “statues” of dying people found in Pompeii are not made of rock? When the city was covered, all of the living things—people, animals, plants—disintegrated over the years they were buried. The “statues” you see today are plaster casts made from pouring plaster into the holes left by the bodies and plants that used to be there. The casts actually have the actual bones in them.
*Did you know that only 2/3 of the city are actually excavated today? Archeologists have still not uncovered 1/3 of the city because the part that is exposed today is already falling apart because of natural causes and because of the thousands of tourists that visit it every day; they want to save some for later. But I’m pretty sure it’s also because Italians do everything piano, piano, “slowly, slowly”.

One thing Stephano stressed while we were walking around the city was that humanity never changes. The ancient people of Pompeii, minus a couple things such as electricity and internet, live pretty much the same way we live today:
* Welcome mats outside their doors:
* “Beware of the dog” warning signs:
*Public water fountains:
*Bars and restaurants:
*Crosswalks:
They made taller rocks in the form of a crosswalk, so people didn't have to walk in the muddy, wet, dirty street! You know, they only wore sandals and those streets were pretty fowl. How smart of the ancient people!
*Political propaganda:
When someone was running for office, they would pay for a nice addition to a public place such as a monument, fountain, bath, etc. and they would put their name on it so everyone would know to vote for that person... sound familiar, anyone?
*Street reflectors:
They used the white stones as reflectors to mark the way to the harbor.

Pompeii was an awesome experience and a really cool place to visit. Maybe not my favorite place ever, but I definitely learned a lot and appreciated the ruins of this once-prosperous city. It’s amazing to me how God orchestrates history: the rise and fall of cities and powers. Everything earthly has an end—whether it’s by human or natural destruction. I am so glad to know I have an Eternal future of bliss in heaven with my awesome creator!

Friday, February 19:
TGIF! This weekend, I ventured to Mugello, Tuscany with 5 other girls. Best time and money I will spend during my 3 months in Italy, for sure! The day started out on the train. We successfully got on the right train—surprising, especially considering there was an Italian train/bus strike this day. While on the train, Lauren and I had an interesting conversation with an Italian lady. She looked very classy and professional in her business suit, so we asked her what her profession was. She told us, “I heal people with my hands”. Her English wasn’t great, so we responded “Oh! A massage therapist!”. She was quick to tell us “No! not massage therapist”. She spent the rest of the ride to Florence explaining to us how she heals people with the power of her mind by laying her hands on their body. She lives in Rome but travels all over Italy with her “gift”. There sure are some crazies out there! 2 kinds of crazies: the kind who heal people with their minds, and the kind who hire people to heal them with their minds. While we were trying to communicate with this nice witch, we heard a soft whimpering that sounded as if it was coming from underneath my seat. A lady sitting near me got up and pulled out two oversized purses from under my seat and unzipped them to reveal 2 Chihuahuas! Dogs are everywhere in Italy. It’s a very normal thing to see a woman walking around in an up-scale store with her small dog on a leash. I love it… except for the fact that you always have to watch where you step because the dogs just go to the bathroom wherever they want. It’s not uncommon to accidentally walk into something foul on the sidewalk. So, for this lady to have two dogs in her carryon was surprising but common… and awesome because she let us hold the dogs! Lauren and I had fun taking pictures and talking to the poor little dog like it was a baby, in a language it didn’t understand.
Finally we arrived in Mugello! Heidi and Lorenzo, the older couple who owns the bed and breakfast, picked us up from a small town about an hour from their home because of the bus strike. They are both Italian, but Heidi grew up all over Europe and spent a lot of her childhood in England. She speaks perfect English with the cutest British accent. Lorenzo, on the other hand, speaks Italian only. We had such a great afternoon getting to know the two of them! Heidi made us a huge lunch of antipasti, pasta (with olive oil, feta, and sundried tomatoes), salad, Lorenzo’s famous olive oil-soaked toast, and cake for desert. Just what I needed! After dinner, we napped upstairs in our ever-so-quaint rooms and came downstairs for a small cooking lesson. Heidi let us help her make tiramisu. Mmmm… I couldn’t wait to actually eat it! After our short lesson, we all went to a near-by town to see an African concert. Random, I know, but it was so awesome! Heidi wanted to go because her brother used to play piano with the “band”. The main performer was African but now lives in Italy and tours around performing to raise awareness for his home country. The first part of the concert consisted of him and a couple other African men performing cultural pieces. After the first couple songs, other musicians of all different backgrounds started joining him on stage. The other musicians were a mix of an Italian classical pianist, an Italian jazz pianist (amazing), an Italian classical guitarist and vocalist, an Italian drummer and vocalist, and an American girl from South Carolina who played the guitar and sang. This was one of the best concerts I have ever attended in my life. They did a very skillful job of combining African music style with classical and jazz styles. The musicians performing with the main guy were some of the most skilled people I have ever encountered. The concert lasted a very long time (over 2 hours) so by the end, we were getting a little sleepy. The last song definitely woke us up though. Everyone came back on stage together to sing a song called “God Bless the People”. Something had definitely gone on backstage before this song because everyone was actin’ afool’! I don’t know what they had been smoking, but when they all got back onstage, they suddenly were singing off key and dancing offbeat. We had the BEST time watching them! One man tried to sing into a microphone stand that didn’t even have a microphone in it. And the girl from South Carolina (we refer to her as “Jackie”) was taking over the stage with ca-ra-zy dancing and singing. I have attached some videos of the concert so you can enjoy both the good and the bad from the convenience of your living room. It is a night I will never forget and a song we will be singing for the rest of our time in Italy.

Saturday, February 20:
Second day in Mugello. We got up early to a beautiful breakfast spread prepared by Heidi of cereal, yogurt, bread, pound cake, brownies, fruit, coffee, tea, juice, and breakfast meats. She spoils us. After breakfast, Lorenzo and his friend dropped us off at an outlet shopping center for a couple hours. Sara Beth and I spent the whole time together walking and talking about life, love, and other mysteries. We bought matching scrunches at Lacoste (don’t hate—they are cool!), and I bought a backpack (because mine broke before I even left the Atlanta airport), and an Italian coffee maker. After our little shopping time, Heidi and Lorenzo picked us up again and took us to a local produce market where we got to see women making tortellini and ravioli by hand. It was so cool! There was also a really good-looking boy who worked at the market. Heidi asked him to join us for dinner, but he couldn’t because he had a date with his girlfriend later that night. Oh, Italian boys. They just don’t know what they are missing. We bought some fresh fruit, Heidi got some ravioli to cook that night, and Lorenzo got us all some local olive oil to take home. When we arrived back at the house, we all spent time outside taking pictures of the breathtaking view of the Tuscan countryside. Their house and the area surrounding are perfectly picturesque. Sara Beth and I sat while we watched and listened to the sheep run around on the hillside next to the house while the sunset behind the trees. Pictures are incapable of capturing the beauty.
For dinner his night, we were joined by some Italians staying at the B&B for the night. Because we had a bigger group, we all ate dinner in the “lodger”, a separate little building right outside of the house that looks like a green house. Inside is a long table and an open fireplace where Lorenzo does all of his amazing grilling. This is also the room where Heidi hangs grapes to dry for her homemade wine. Heidi had prepared a wonderful dinner of antipasti, pasta (the ravioli we bought earlier with a butter sage sauce), and stuffed artichokes (which we helped her make). Lorenzo grilled steaks, spare ribs, and sausage. It was just an amazing dinner accompanied by local wine and lots of laughs. Desert was the Tiramisu that we made the night before. I finished off two bowls of it, it was so good! We were all in such a jolly mood and just enjoyed the night. While Heidi, Lorenzo, and the Italians went to bed, we were still talking and having fun in the lodger. We had a great time imitating “God Bless the People” from the concert the night before. Each of us pretended to be a different person while we sang and danced… but we couldn’t finish the song because we almost died of laughter when Mikus grabbed a big wine bottle and started dancing around with it stuck between her legs, pretending that it was a drum.

Sunday, February 21:
Sad, sad day. We had to leave Mugello! How hard it was to part from our new grandparents, Heidi and Lorenzo. Before we left, though, we had a great morning—another fulfilling breakfast prepared by Heidi, complete with her homemade croissants. After breakfast, we all went to the flea market in a nearby town. The flea market was a lot like the ones at home—local people selling vintage and homemade items. I bought a vintage silk dress for 10 Euros and some charms for my charm bracelet. We had a great time walking about, secretly making fun of ridiculously ugly items, and openly admiring timeless artwork and jewelry. While we were at the flea market, Lorenzo ran into one of his friends and invited him to lunch with us! To preface this story, you need to understand that one of my goals while in Italy is to meet Paulo. It started as a joke before I left with all my friends and has somehow gotten around to everyone on this trip. We joke about it all the time, so somehow Heidi and Lorenzo heard about my quest and thought it was hilarious! After that, Lorenzo was intent on finding Paulo. So when he introduced his friend at the flea market to me as “Paulo”, I freaked out and asked for a picture. Of course, the poor guy was confused and really awkward as Sara Beth snapped a picture of the two of us. Paulo followed us home on his adorable little scooter and hung out with us at the house until Heidi was ready with lunch. I called him Paulo all afternoon, very pleased that I finally met him! Then, after running into him while on a walk around the house and saying “Ciao Paulo!” Sara Beth gently asked, “you do know his name’s not Paulo, don’t you? It’s Germano”. What the heck?! I was a little embarrassed at first, but then decided I didn’t care, laughed, and proceeded to call him Paulo until we left. Lorenzo had fun with that one! Parting with Heidi and Lorenzo was very hard, and I am still coping with it but hopefully, I will be able to go back and visit

All Roads Lead to Rome

"There's a life in old places and we're always passing through."
-Under the Tuscan Sun

Wow... i feel overwhelmed right now because I have so much to catch yall up on! So much has happened since my last post, I'm not sure how to go about writing this one. But as Frances Mayes puts it so eloquently in Under the Tuscan Sun, "the Etruscan wall above the house dates from the eighth century B.C. We can talk. We have time."... so here goes!

Wednesday, Feb 11
First real class day in Rome! We did so much! We started all together at the Spanish steps, then pair-by-pair we lead each other through the city. Pairs of two were assigned to walk the group from one spot to the next using a map. Kelly and I were the first group... I was anticipating a disaster because I can't read a map (i was born without a sense of direction) but thankfully, our spot, the Antico Cafe Greco, was directly across the street from the Spanish Steps... so we walked for about 2.5 minutes to get there. Easy! The Antico Cafe Greco is the oldest cafe in Europe and is very famous. Old poets, painters, and philosophers who we read about today in history books used to meet here to talk about intensely deep things over a cup of coffee and a pastry. It's crazy how some things never change over the years. After a couple more stops, we arrived at the Piazza Calonna, my "expert of the day" topic. As we tour through Italy this semester, each of us have a couple expert of the day topics in which we research about a place, person, or thing and make a short presentation to inform the group about what we are seeing. The Piazza Calonna is a very important part of Rome. It is actually considered the dead middle of the city. In the middle is a tall column depicted with pictures of Marcus Aurelius' reign. and was dedicated to him back in 394 B.C. (i think) and it has never been moved or altered since that year except for a statue of a Saint that was placed on top. The coolest part about this Piazza is that it is home to the Palazzo Chigi! This is where the Chigi family called their permanent residence. Now, that building is the home of the Italian Government!! How cool is that? My family is so awesome, every day I am more amazed by how famous we are... not to brag or anything. These are some pics of my fam symbol in the Pantheon and the piazza di popolo... ok, im bragging...
The rest of the day was long, but so good. I took so many pictures, I can hardly sort through them! But I learned so much and saw so much more than I could have ever found if I was touring through Rome on my own.

Thursday, Feb. 11
Probably.... no, DEFINITELY the best day I have had during my time in Italy so far. To some, it would have been stressful and irritating, but it was just my style--laid back, unplanned, long, and slow. One of our school assignments is an ancient Rome scavenger hunt. We have a list of places in Rome to visit and take pictures of, then we have to make a power point presentation with all of the pictures. I was planning on going to go to Rome with a bunch of girls, but Becca and i were running a little late (im sure that surprises none of you). We walked briskly to the train station, calculating we would have 5 minutes to spare when arrived. Well, we made our way to the train and when we were about 5 yards away, you guessed it, it started pulling away. Im now actually kind of used to the feeling of helplessness when your mode of transportation leaves without you... that's probably not a good thing. All we could do was laugh and sit on a bench to wait for the next train. During our 45 minutes waiting, we talked about our family lives, passions, beliefs, and everything in-between. It was so exciting to meet someone on this trip who shares all of the same values and passions as I do. We had such great conversation all day. Such a fresh breath of air. As we got off of the metro right in front of the Coliseum, we ran into a nice German guy who offered us a tour of the Coliseum and Roman Forum. We took his offer and had a fabulous 3 hour tour off all things ancient in Rome. This is a pic of our classic tourist guide... notice the fanny pack. I learned so much! For example:

*Did you know that Christians were never killed in the actual Coliseum? They were killed only in smaller, wooden "coliseums" around the city.
*Did you know that after a while, the Coliseum was considered pagan, so the people of the city tried to tear it down. In the middle of the process of destroying one of the most famous and important parts of Rome, the pope at the time declared it a holy place and placed a cross in it. He knew that no one could destroy a holy place. This is why the Coliseum is still standing today.
*Did you know that the entire Coliseum: floor, ceiline, seats, stairs, columns... were all made out of marble? Now, all of that marble is what makes up the Vatican. It was just recycled.
*Did you know that Emperor Diocletian had a home right next to the Roman Forum that contained his own personal arena? He was a very introverted man and had a sick sense of humor. In addition to gladiatorial matches, he had women gladiators and midgets fight to the death in his own backyard. He literally rounded up all the midgets in the kingdom and made them fight each other for his own enjoyment.
*Did you know that the entire roman forum was covered by dirt in the middle ages and was left completely underground? The area was a field where cattle grazed. This was done because it was viewed as a pagan place. During the Renaissance, people started to take an interest in the forum, so it was dug up and preserved into what we know today.
*Did you know that the Coliseum had a portable ceiling made entirely of silk that would be rolled out if it was raining or too hot so the people didn't have to sit through harsh weather?
*Did you know that admission into the Coliseum was completely free for everyone, and for any event?
*Did you know that the Coliseum was built by 40,000 jewish slaves in the span of only 8 years?

Sorry, I know that's boring... but I get excited and can't help myself! After our tour of all things ancient, we continued to the museum of Capitoline Hill. This museum is fabulous and I recommend it to anyone traveling to Rome! We had such a fun time walking from room to room, every time finding something even more jaw-dropping than in the room before. We saw the famous bust of Medusa, the famous statue to Marcus Aurelius on his horse, the ancient ruins of the Temple of Venus that was on top of the hill before the Capitol buildings were built. But most important of all, we were there in time to see a special exhibit of Michelangelo. I wasn't expecting to be so moved by his art, but the very second i walked through the door and laid eyes on a figure study that he loosely sketched probably in less than 5 minutes, my eyes filled with tears and I could hardly move. Piece-by-piece, the exhibit got more and more impressive. It went into great detail about parts of Rome he had planned out. Sketches of Capitoline Hill, St. Peter's, and other impressive Cathedrals that are still considered engineering wonders. "Wow" is all I can say. The only word to express his extreme talent is God-Given. Literally, I have no clue how any human can posses such wisdom of line, light and perspective.

As we left that exhibit, we had one more thing on our list to find: the Ancient Roman coin collection. This room was in the innermost recesses of the museum and we could NOT find it. For a little while, i questioned its existence. We asked probably 7 museum attendants to point us in the direction.. but getting directions in another language pretty much does NO good. All we knew was that we had to find the stairs, so we found the door clearly marked with a green sign that read "uscita" (exit) and assumed it would lead us there. As soon as Becca pushed the door open, an alarm sounded through the entire museum. Stupid Americans! As we coward and sheepishly turned in the direction of the next room, a museum attendant walked into the room flustered by the alarm; he shrugged and looked a bit irritated when he realized it was just us... the American girls who had asked him earlier how to get to the exhibit. He let us go and we eventually found the dang coin room. By the time we got there, it was dark outside. But our God is so great! As Becca and I walked alone into a dark room at the end of the museum, we looked out of the beautiful, old, floor-length windows and found the most beautiful night skyline I have ever seen. Rome is a flat city--the highest buildings are the most important ones such as St. Peter's Cathedral and the Capitol building. So, the lights of the city are subtle, calming and not blocked by any modern skyscraper monstrosities at night. In the distance, we could see the green dome of St. Peter's lit by strategically placed lights and as God smiled down on us, a fireworks show started directly above Vatican City. We stood and watched it in silence. Alone in a dark room of the museum located on the highest hill in Rome, watching a fireworks display over the most beautiful city ever built, I could feel God's strong arms gently wrap around my weekend and paralyzed body. Talk about memorable moments. This one sits now at the top of my most unforgettable list.

After resting our tired legs a moment by gawking at this amazing site, the show was over and it was time for us to make our way back to Ariccia. The night is not over yet! We made our way back to the Coliseum and got on the metro. We made it back to the train station right as our train took off... left AGAIN! What is it with me and trains?? If you ever have to travel by train, make sure I'm not with you because if I am, you will miss it for certain! We freaked out for a split second until we realized there was another one coming in 45 minutes. Just enough time for dinner! We found a nice little panini place in the termini; as we sat down and enjoyed our sandwiches, we didn't realize that time was creeping away. We made it back to the train schedule board only to find our train had left us ONCE AGAIN. At this point, its just a laughing matter. But not to fret my dear reader, there was still another train on its way. In the meantime, we decided to get gelato. See a pattern? We like food... a lot. It's probably unhealthy for us to be together because when we are, I complete the day with a satisfying diet just of gelato, pizza, and pasta. Heart attack anyone? Oh, and while we are on the topic of food, did you know that McDonalds is so much better here than in the U.S? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my cheeseburger and McFlurry, but the fast food is quality in Italy. If you come to Italy anytime soon, make sure to try the McItaly. Ok... back on subject... So there we are, standing, gelato in hand, watching the times on the schedule board, praying that we still have a train to take us home. In a moment when we should be considering cheap hostels in Rome, I feel strangely content. That's when Becca looked at me with head cocked sideways as she licked her dripping chocolate gelato off of her hand and said "for some reason, chaos and stress are a foreign concept when there is a gelato in your hand". I laughed in agreement as I realized how completely true her statement was. The world looks so much better, even in the middle of a storm, when I have an ice cream! And I thank God for the man who invented Gelato. In fact, I need to research that man in order to praise him for his wisdom. The train did come and we sat, so content, as the train took us through winding tracks back to our sweet home. We talked about everything we learned and laughed about all of the stupid things we did that day. My heart is full.

Friday, February 12
This is the day I ventured to a land called Bologna. The land of tortallini and gelato. In fact, the slimy lunch meat we feed our toddlers is originally named after this Italian town. But for real, this city is called "the food-lovers haven", "the fat cow", and "la grassa" (translation: fat). Tortallini originated here, as well as Bolognese sauce. But to give it credit for something other than food, Bologna is one of the richest cities in Italy and it is very historical. The oldest university in all of Europe is located here. Cool, huh? I went with three great girls names Becca, Madelin, and Ali. We had such a great time together. When we left the palace early that morning to walk to the next town in order to catch the train, we found, to our surprise, that it had snowed the whole night before. We lugged our suitcases through a fresh, thick blanket of snow. It was so gorgeous to see this beautiful little Italian town covered in snow. Getting snow in this region is an even bigger event than the ever-so-occasional snow day in Georgia or Alabama--the last time it snowed in Rome was 25 years ago! The Ariccians were freaking out. If they dared to drive in the extreme weather, they were going no more than 7 mph and stalling out every 10 minutes. It was so funny to watch all the paranoid drivers and to see the small children come outside with amazed looks on their faces. God is truly blessing me in new ways everyday! By the time we arrived in Bologna, we were a little worried about our hotel because it had such big claims of greatness, but was the cheapest one on the internet. We were very pleasantly surprised when we jumped off the bus (literally jumped off--Madelin almost knocked an elderly woman fall flat on her face because we couldn't figure out how to get OFF of the bus... we aren't the brightest group). The Hotel Grand Elite was actually a very pleasant surprise. He had a huge 70's style room that was very clean and a HUGE buffet breakfast in the morning. We crashed in our clean beds and took a 2.5 hour nap. That night, we walked around the city, looking in every boot store window. We walked into one store and the lady who owned it (obviously very proud of her country) lectured us in Italian. She called us "stupid americans" and told us that we were rude for coming to a country in which we could not speak the language. She would say a rude comment, pause, then laugh because she thought we had no clue what she was saying. Little did she know, we did. Uh, RUDE! Despite her rudeness, we had a great night. We took a lot of silly pictures with statues and ate the best pizza I have had yet. We also found a creperia (we like to call it the "creeper-ia"). They make crepes with anything you want on them right in front of you, then dust it with powdered sugar. We tried Nutella (pretty much chocolate peanut-butter) and cream. SO good! Then, we found our way back to the hotel and went to bed.

Saturday, February 13
Day two in Bologna. We had a great time walking around the city, checking out it's historic district, trying out free museums, and fooling around. A lot more silly pictures were taken. The things I found most entertaining were the twin leaning towers still standing from the Etruscan times (way before Christ) and the fountain in the main square. It's the best fountain I've found so far. The women on the base are spewing water out of their breasts. Maybe a sign of fertility? Whatever it means, I liked it. After checking out the historic district (where the fountain was, and also a church, a library, and a couple other beautiful old buildings), we headed to the twin towers. These towers are built during ancient Etruscan rule. Families of wealth would build towers to symbolize their wealth and social standing; the higher the tower, the more prominent the family. Through the years, the towers were used for different things. At one point, i think there was a civil war of sorts and families would fight each other from their towers. The area was peppered with them. But now, centuries later, only a handful remain standing; the most famous of which are the twin towers. Both towers are leaning in opposite directions. One leans 7 meters from the parallel and half of it had to be removed a few years ago so it wouldn't fall. Tourists are not allowed to enter this tower for obvious reasons... but the other tower is still sturdy and ready for climbers! We climbed the 498 stairs to the very top and the 498 stairs back down to the bottom. It was the best thing I did all weekend! The view from the top is gorgeous! Red terra cotta roofs as far as the eye can see, and to one side, there is a view of the snow-covered mountains that border one side of the city. At the top of the tower, we met a boy named Matt from Connecticut! He actually went to the rival high school of my friend, Becca, and now he is an exchange student studying at the University. If I haven't mentioned already, the University in Bologna is the oldest University in all of Europe! Matt recommended a local favorite restaurant for us to visit for dinner. I love getting advice from locals! It always ends up being fabulous! We walked around the city a little more, window shopping and enjoying the best weather since we arrived in Italy. After much searching, Becca and Madelin found the perfect boots! They are so European and very "in". We had fun talking to the sales girls in broken Italian while they tried talking in broken English. After their purchase, we continued back to the hotel to take an afternoon rest and get ready for dinner. We found the restaurant that Matt recommended and ate the best meal of the weekend! I had some awesome spinach and ricotta ravioli and a great "greek" salad. The salad was more of a bowl of vegetables- it had a ton of sliced tomatoes, onions, peppers, olives, and big chunks of feta cheese. I felt so healthy when I finished! After dinner, we were on a mission to find Gelato. The Bolognese must not like Gelato because we couldn't find it anywhere!! At 9:50, we realized that there was an "antique creamery" right next door to our hotel... and it closed at 10. We practically ran half-way across the city to get there in time. At least be burned off the huge dinner we just ate! We got there just in time. Becca was the first to enter and im sure she scared the girl behind the counter. She ran in huffing and puffing and (a little effected by the wine we drank for dinner) yelled "are ya'll still open?? can we eat gelato??" the Italian girl just laughed and nodded her head. That was the best gelato I have had in Italy... I would go back to Bologna just to have a scoop of that dark chocolate ice cream.... my mouth is watering as I write this.

Sunday, February 14
Happy day of Saint Valentino! We got up early again in order to enjoy breakfast full of yummy goodness, then headed out to check the oldest University of Europe off our list. Because I am so directionally challenged, Ali taught me how to read a map and I led the group all the way to the University. It really wasn't that hard... I just had to learn how to hold the map the right way.... The University was pretty cool even though we didn't get to see a lot of it. We went to the museum which was actually quite entertaining. There was a creepy exhibit of birth defect models that made me feel a little sick, but other than that, i liked it! We didn't get to see a lot of the museum because we had to rush back to the hotel in order to check out on time. Next: trek to the train station. Mental note: just because you get on a bus at the right bus stop doesn't mean it's going to the right place. We rode the wrong bus around town for 45 minutes before we realized our mistake. Luckily, some nice locals directed us to the correct bus... which dropped us off at the station in just a few minutes. When we got to the train station, Becca was so anxious not to miss our train again that we boarded it about 30 minutes too early.... too bad we were on the WRONG TRAIN! Public transportation is NOT my thing. The frustrating part was that the train we boarded was going to Rome (where we needed to go)... but it was the faster and more expensive one. We were kicked off at the next stop and forced to board our original train. The train we paid for was easy to find because it wore a colorful dress of fresh graffiti. This ride had potential for great awkwardness. Me, Ali, and Becca were together in a little room with 2 italian guys (probably in their late 20's) and an Italian lady (i never saw her face..). For half the time, we all read books or wrote in our journals while the 2 guys stared at us. In Italy, people stare unashamedly.. they don't think it's awkward... but i really don't mind; i think it's funny. For the second half of the trip, we talked to the staring guys--their names were Cristiano and Mattao. Mattao owns an airsoft store and they were on their way home from an airsoft tournament in Rome. No one here has a normal occupation; I have yet to meet an accountant or a lawyer. Airsoft, for those of you who don't know, is a game a lot like paintball in which everyone shoots tiny plastic pellets at each other with "airsoft" guns. Cristiano and Matteo didn't speak a lot of English, and we don't speak a lot of Italian. So our conversation was pretty basic, but lots of fun. We are now all friends on facebook--the international language. Just like in the U.S., everyone has facebook here--even restaurants... even nice restaurants. We passed a restaurant on one of the nicest, most historical and artistic streets in all of Rome, and they had a frame advertising their facebook site on the front door. Even though I hate change, and the new forbearance for tradition through the globalization of culture, I do have to admit that I don't know what i would do without the internet. I talk to my family and friends regularly through the internet.. i mean, i don't just talk to them... I SEE them. FOR FREE! The internet allows me to sit in my room at the Palazzo Chigi, 5000 miles away from the United States, and talk to someone face-to-face in Augusta, GA. How amazing is that? Now that im done ranting... i just would like to remind all of my readers that all roads really do lead to Rome. I know this to be true now, so come visit me! Buona Serata!

touched by an angel

"When he is at the wheel, he'll always take the turn down the intriguing little road. The language, history, art, places in Italy are endless--two lifetimes wouldn't be enough."
-Under the Tuscan Sun

There are no words. No words exist in the English language to express how full I am at this moment. This culture, architecture, scenery, light, language, people, passion, love, sounds are breathtaking and utterly wonderful. If I spoke the language, I am convinced that no one could persuade me to return back home... sorry mama.

Yesterday was our first day of class... oh joy. Actually, it wasn't that bad. First, we had an Italian lesson with beautiful Mrs. Mary Louise Gray. After practicing our vowel sounds and learning the differences between hard and soft C's, we took another small tour of the palace with Francesco. Oh, the palace. How completely wonderful. I love it! Everything is so gorgeous, ornate and rare. We visited a big room probably used for entertaining and lounging in the warm months. It was big and open with one wall of windows. The ceiling and walls were painted to create an "optical illusion". Francesco was so sweet has he tried to explained with broken english how the plants, animals, birds, and sky painted on the walls were meant to continue the palace exteriors inside. The next room was a room of portraits that also acted as the hallway to a bedroom. On every wall in this room were faces of nuns... i thought this was a little strange until Francesco explained to us how all of the children in the Chigi family, except for the firstborn son and daughter, were required to become nuns or to enter the priesthood. What a life. i couldn't imagine being forced into life as a nun! That would probably be considered "bad parenting" these days. The dark green and cream wallpaper in this room was so gorgeous. As we all examined it even more, we realized that it wasn't wallpaper at all! The design had been hand-painted onto stone walls. The next bedroom continued the dark green from the room before it in the wall coverings, drapes, and the bed. But the coolest part was when Francesco opened the closet. Some women's clothes were hanging in the closet along with servant garb. The hanger rod was so high that francesco couldn't reach it even with the help of a hook! Poor thing... shrinking with age, I suppose. Tommy pulled it down and let us take pictures of a typical servant uniform. They were completely different than what I pictured servantry wearing- a long coat and matching pants of bright green, red, and gold with designs of the family crest and symbol all over them. A bit flashy, I thought... but I guess if you have servants, why not show them off?

After our short little tour, we went downtown the meet the mayor... who we were supposed to meet last week. He had an "emergency" of some sort. I don't think the mayor of Ariccia really cares too much about us because he keeps canceling his appointments with us. Ive heard he's not that nice anyway, so I'm not too concerned about it! In his place, we met the deputy mayor. He spoke not English, so Maurizio translated. The man spoke italian so fast, he made me feel dizzy. We learned all about the history of Ariccia and the politics of Italy.

Fun political facts:
Did you know that the city of Ariccia is the oldest city of the Castelli Romani (the hill towns of Rome) and that it is even older than Rome itself?
Did you know that Italy is trying to reform it's government to be more like Americas... they still have a lot of work to do...
Did you know that some guy running for office in this region stole the Obama symbol? Yeah, you didn't know that!
Did you know that the our next-door neighbor of Genzano is a communist town? The owner of a restaurant we walk past to get there is friends with Fidel Castro and Fidel has eaten there numerous times... it's a big deal.
Did you know that Pope Alexander VII (the Chigi pope) didn't want to be pope and almost rejected it? He didn't want to move his family from Sicily, but they made him accept the honor.
Did you know that I really like it here?

it's been pretty slow around here the past couple days, but we will be in rome from tomorrow until next week, so check the blog out later to find out what crazy things I will get myself into! I love you all!

wrong stop?... we must've fist pumped too early

"'In my next life,' Ed tells me, 'I want to come back as an Italian baby.'"

-Under the Tuscan Sun

Hey everyone... or I guess I should say CIAO! Thanks so much for tuning into the next little chapter of my journey through Italy. In this edition of THINKINGinDREAM, I will inform you all of my weekend, which I'm sure is the last thing you want to read about. Why would anyone

want to read about my life, anyway? But i guess no one is making you read this (unless

you are a member of my family... you all better be reading this blog religiously)... so feel free to leave and check facebook anytime!

Friday: Friday was a pretty relaxed day.. nothing huge happened. We all met Cinzia (CHIN - zia) (our beautiful Italian Liaison, as I like to call her) and walked to the neighboring town of Genzano. It was about a 20 minute walk down a beautiful winding road lined with "Italian pines" and a view to the Mediterranean Sea. For some, this was not as

easy as it sounds. Picture 20 college girls walking 20 minutes in the freezing cold and rain... yeah.

As I thoroughly enjoyed the scenic walk along a quaint Italian road with clown-sized cars speeding past, I tried to ignore "how much longer?" and "are we there yet?". After what seemed like forever to some girls, and what seemed like 20

minutes of bliss to me, we finally reached our destination. The rest of the day, we ventured around the beautiful little town, bought staple items that are not available in Ariccia, ate lunch, and then headed home. That night, my friend Sara Beth and I went to dinner with her twin sister, Meg, and her friend Marianna. They came to visit us, as both are student teaching in Berlin. We did our best to order a pizza... but the language barrier proved itself once again. After the 4 of us split a pizza meant to feed 1, we ordered another. Our second pizza ended up being the same size as the first... and had nothing on it. When I say it had nothing on it, I mean that they brushed some olive oil, pinched some salt, and sprinkled some rosemary on top of a pizza crust and threw it in the oven. Ordering food here is a learning experience every day.

Saturday: Ah, Saturday. Even though it rained once again, Saturday was a good day. Most of the group went to Roma! Now, just because it was a great day doesn't mean that everything ran smoothly... because it didn't. In the morning, a group of about 15 of us walked to the other

neighboring town of Albano (on the opposite side as Genzano) and tried to buy train tickets. How hard can it be to buy a train ticket, right? Well apparently, it can be perilous. We walked from Tabacchi to Tabacchi asking for tickets; none were to be found. A Tabacchi (ta - BAK - ee) is a little store you can find anywhere in Italy that sells random, but important things such as stamps, cell phone minutes, cigarettes, and TRAIN TICKETS. After about 30 minutes, half of the girls gave up and went back to the palace. The rest of us continued our hunt and finally found tickets at a bar. Really? A bar? At least we got them! After a sigh of relief, we all realized that the next train was leaving at that very minute. We ran to the station. It is an act of God that I didn't bust my head open on those wet cobblestone stairs! Thanks again to God himself, we made it to the train and eventually to

Rome! My first experience in the magical city was great. All we did was shop.

Ahhh... And eat Gelato. Mmmm... And get off at the wrong train stop at 9:30 that night. What? That's right, we got off 2 stops too early. I know what all of you who know me really well are thinking, and no, it wasn't my fault. After we jumped off the train, read the sign that said "Castel Gandolfo" with confusion, watched the train pull away, and realized our situation, Sara Beth said something profound that perfectly expressed our emotions at that time: "DAMN".We ended up sitting in the freezing cold, in a poorly lit train station, alone (unless you count the graffiti) for another hour waiting for the next train. It ended up being a blessing in disguise. The three of us (Sara Beth, Becca, and I) talked and laughed as the hour flew by. We finally made it home safe and sound and spent the rest of the night talking (more like laughing so hard, I think my appendix burst) to a couple other girls as we heard all about their Roma experience (check out heather's blog). Good day.

Sunday: Today, I slept in until 12... thank the Lord, then went with

a couple other girls to Genzano for their Carnival. It was vary interesting to say the least. In my mind, it is the equivalent to American halloween. It was a very family-oriented celebration and all of the kids were dressed up in halloween costumes -- princesses, super heros, indians, hunters, random animals... it was kinda weird. there was lots of confetti and LOTS of people. We walked around, feeling and looking completely out of place and took pictures of everything... ya know, the typical American thing. Then we walked back home! I guess it was a pretty chill day for me here in Italy.

Tomorrow is our first day of real class... I'm nervous.

I love you and miss you all so much! Muah! Muah!