This is quite the adventure, let me tell you. So, here's what happened. We took a midnight train to La Spezia and then one from La Spezia to Riomaggiore, the first of the five villages. We got there at 530, so we decided to sleep on the beach until the sun came up. And by beach I mean rocks (Riomaggiore doesn't have much sand). Crazy... so we napped on the beach facing the Sea (my friend Neena brought a sheet from the hotel and wrapped herself in it and looked like a corpse... lol) Then we got breakfast and started hiking. [View Full Entry]

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Hey! This post I'm focusing on pictures... I'm gonna put the ones of the photo shoot that I told you about yesterday at the Spanish steps/biking in Villa Borghese (the black and white pictures by my super awesome photographer friend, Rani.) Today we took a day trip because it's Independence Day! We went to Hadrian's Villa, which is BEAUTIFUL and wonderful to play in. Because we actually got to look in the ruins and mess around. Then we went to the Villa D'Este, which is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. ALL FOUNTAINS. Look at the pictures. [View Full Entry]

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Oh man... so sorry everyone. Dad knows, but my computer has been a bit testy lately and I have been so busy I haven't had time to post something. So... quick recap: - Florence (wow) - churches - BEST DAY EVERY - Caravaggio Okay, so Florence was beautiful. We went to the Uffizi museum and saw some of the most amazing stuff ever: Bottichelli, Caravaggio, Rembrant... It was nice to get out of Rome because I'm not a big city person. My deduction of Florence: More people, less busy (if that makes any sense). I spent my first ever HOSTEL NIGHT, [View Full Entry]

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It's official. I suffocated under the Vatican. It was actually quite wonderful; we got to walk on actually Roman streets that were buried under ground! We saw a lot of tombs, but no pictures were allowed underground! Really interesting. We saw the bones of St. Peter. The actual (although, not entirely proven) bones. But it just seemed too complete. It fit the timeline, his age when he died, the bones of the person was a fisherman, it was dated the 1st century, and the bones had no feet (Peter was crucified upside down and when they crucify people upside down, they [View Full Entry]

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Ciao! So today was the Early Pilgrimage Churches of Santa Pudenziana, Santa Prassede, and Santa Maggio (sp?). They're really beautiful and have a lot of interesting stories. Pudenziana we met this goofy man named Mario who worked at the church, who kept giving us "quizzes" and allowed us to go into places most people aren't! We were even allowed behind the church, which was weird because churches generally don't have a behind. Just an apse and a wall. But it was really neat because we got to go up on the 2nd level and see the mosaic REALLY close, which was [View Full Entry]

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This is the part of the tale with the creepy music and the wonderful echoes... UNDERGORUND. Yes, you read right ladies and gentlemen. I've been underground for the past two days. Yesterday we went into some catacombs under an abbey on the skirts of Rome, outside the Aurelian walls (Papa... go!) It was incredible. Sorry folks, no pictures because it's forbidden. The majority of the skeletons were gone because of tourists, but there were some untouched tombs. It was weird to think there was a dead body next to you. Today we went into underground Rome under churches were old churches [View Full Entry]

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So, it's been pretty crazy. Last time I think I left off in the afternoon... Mozart's Requim in San Maggio Church... ... ... I was at a loss for words. I almost cried, it was so beautiful. The church itself is gorgeous and I took some videos of the symphony. The acoustics in it was amazing, I just can't even explain. The funny thing was, was afterwards, we went out and there was this zany street performer (which was a step up from the last street performer we had), but he was odd. And on his soundtrack was "the lion sleeps [View Full Entry]

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Buon giorno! Come sta? I love you and and miss you, but Rome is just too amazing of city for words! This is just crazy, although I admit because I'm already tired from it all! Just because we go to bed around 1AM and get up at 7AM. Actually, it's 2 PM here and 500AM where you are!!! Where to start.... Well, yesterday, we went to the Capitoline Museum and I was just blown away. It was crazy how amazing it is. All these Renaissance paintings - I got to see them in person!!!!! We focused on sculpture, though. A couple [View Full Entry]

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Buongiorno from Rome! WOW. Is all I can say. It is amazing here! You are lucky I have a two-way plane ticket or I might not come back! It's been such a whirlwind already! Basically, woke up at 830 to leave for the airport, left for Frankfurt, Germany at 240, GOT to Germany at around 2 (USA time), waited 6 hours, took off to Rome and got here around 6 Rome time. We ate and went to sleep, but let me tell you! I went to sleep at 11 PM here in Rome and that would be 2PM at home! (9 [View Full Entry]

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