Weekend!

So weekend recap!

Friday we met up with Jen and Josh who studied here during the spring semester and are experts. They took us (us being my roomate and another girl, D, who are my two closest friends here) to the best gelato place, pantheon and trevi fountain at night (it's all lit up and beautiful- google it!) and to get that cappucino that Chris D. promised would change my life. Well it might have, I'll give it that. Good cappucino!! It was great to see them and explore the lesser known parts of the city!

Yesterday we finally did our walking tour at our own liesurely pace and thank goodness we did! It took us right across the city it seemed! We went down the curso, one of the main roads of the city, which is lined with shops (almost every single street is lined with shops!) Our destination was the famous Spanish steps, villa di Medici and the popolo Piazza. In the piazza they (some people...I dont know who) were putting down this huge mural type thing made up of big photos of hundreds of different people, it was really quite amazing. Unfortunately, we got there are at a bad time because all the churches in Rome shut down after lunch for a few hours and it was so hot we couldn't bear to stand around and wait for hours so part of our assignment is still unfinished despite our best efforts.

After this we went up the pinchino (sp?) hill and got an amazing view of the whole city from above. It was truly epic you could see all the tiled rooftops and domes of the many churchs and even the vittoro emanuele monument in the distance. Then we went down the other side of the hill to the spanish steps. Very steep hill, was very scary! Going up was harder but not life threatening!

Now, the spanish steps (at a new piazza now people, keep up!) are huge steps filled with people, it's hard to describe but they are one of the most popular destinations in Rome and it's where foriegn travelers through history have had their Lodgings and where the writer Keats died. Anyways, around the Piazza di Spanga where the steps are there are tons of high end fashion shops, Dolce and Gabbana, Dior, Armani, Prada, uhm Burberry, and tons of others I cant remember. Just looking in the windows was like being at a fashion show runway! I saw heels that were so thin they were spirals! Like, the heel twisted into a spiral. Crazy. In the middle of the piazza was a fountain of a sinking ship with water spouts coming out of it's "leaks" and people lined up to filled their bottles with the water because it is said to be piped in from an aquaduct from the first or second century BC. The girls I was with were like no way- that's crazy, but when they went off I did refill mine with it! Its said to be the sweetest water in Rome, haha. And if hundreds of peple are drinking it I figured it was fine. And Im not dead. Hoorah.

Though I did get a heat rash I think, in which for a few hours until roomie gave me benedryl I looked diseased and thought just maybe I was going to die. We are out all day every day and it is HOT HOT HOT!!!! And always super sunny. Yes I have sunscreen and sometimes I even remember to put it on. Dont worry, the rash went away. Not dying afterall.

Later that day (saturday):

We also went to Ciampo de Fiori, a huge outdoor market that fills a whole piazza (plaza) and I bought some apples and fruit. People are set up under tents with tables you cant even SEE under mounds of fruits and vegetables. People also sell scarves and hats but mostly it's produce, everything you can imagine! That night we also made our first meal. My contribution was to light the gas stove since sometimes we have to do it at home with a lighter/match and I wasnt scared. That's right folks, still cant cook! Why cook when you can go out and eat pasta and pizza at REAL italian places? And gelato. But I have stocked up on fresh fruit from the market! I also learned how to get fruit around here at indoor markets, you weigh it yourself, and the scale has numbers you press depending on which fruit it is and it prints out a barcode for you. If you dont have a bar code they cant ring it up at the register. The first few days the woman disappeared and did it for us, bringing it back to us, but I got brave (and tired of being ignorant) and asked a woman how to do it. I was very proud of myself to learning.

Today we got up bright and early and went to the vatican for mass at St Peters. Yes, I attended mass at THE st. Peters at the vatican. It was all in Italian but it was still amazing to be in this huge church. Just the fact that the cielings are so high above you and everything is intricately decorated with carved stone or painted and there are statues everywhere gives you a sense of being so tiny and in awe. I was just filled with a sense of gratefulness, just utter thankfulness that I am experiencing this beautiful place. Everything has been so amazing. After mass I was very brave and asked a security gaurd in Italian where the museum was (scusi, dove il museo?) I guessed at the museo part but it must have been close enough. The problem was that he answered in Italian so it totally backfired. Then I admitted I didnt actually know italian and he told me in english that they were only open that last sunday of each month, which we knew and thought was THIS sunday (its not). Oops! Either way it was beautiful.

I didnt know if anyone wanted anything from the vatican, if so let me know now, here. But I cant go crazy with gifts because the exchange rate is horrible, everything is super expensive here already and suddenly we have to pay 70 euros we werent warned about for books. My roommate said when she exachnged 400 dollars she got 280 euros, if that gives you an idea of what Im up against... anyways...

By noon we were home again thanks to our early start and we got some homework done. I have post cards all filled out and ready to mail but the only place to get post cards is closed on Sunday. Mail is very slow here so they might not even arrive until after I get home! But they are the only source of pictures to show people I have! See, I came to the internet cafe hoping to put pictures up but the man who tried to help me only could find one computer capable of doing so and it wasn't working!!!

I really want to show people pics, I have almosy 900 from the first week because we have been so many places. Im rather paranoid that something will happen to my computer between now and home and really would feel much better getting them online!

Though I love the comments and that people are reading. Continue, please! It helps me feel connected! Sorry about the lack of pics but at this rate I'll have about 3,000 when I get home IF they make it home without anything happening to them. (knock on wood!)

Oh by the way my two friends and I are taking a trip to VENICE next weekend!!! exciting much? YES.