Thankful

Wow, what a weekend! This Thanksgiving definitely goes down in the books as one of the greatest.

It all started on Wednesday afternoon, when the Hotel Tiziano staff pampered us with a gourmet Thanksgiving banquet.  The staff went all out, decorating the tables with gorgeous fall centerpieces and candles and cooking traditional Thanksgiving food just for us (since of course the holiday isn't celebrated over here). I must admit, it was a little bittersweet, all of us being away from our families on a holiday so family-oriented in nature. After all, this was my first major holiday away from home and knowing that my family was all together celebrating in Boston made me a bit homesick. But looking around the room at all my girls in the same position, there was a feeling of quiet understanding and peace with where we were in that very moment. My friends and I all went around the table and said one thing that we were thankful for--much like the tradition we have at home. We all said something to the effect of feeling blessed and fortunate for this study abroad experience. Talking, laughing, and enjoying a delicious meal with all my Smicks, I experienced yet another moment of profound contentment...like I know that I am right where I am supposed to be. Even though it meant missing out on a holiday with my family, I know that in my mind, I will forever return to the special Thanksgiving I spent abroad.

Thanksgiving banquet at the Tiz

And that was just Wednesday!! Early Thursday morning, 8 friends and I departed for London for the 4-day weekend. Our travel day went seamlessly until our flight from Rome to Paris arrived late and we had to rush through the Paris airport in an attempt to make our connecting flight. Unfortunately, we got to the gate about 3 minutes after they closed it and they wouldn't let us on. It ended up working out fine because they booked us on the next flight and gave us meal vouchers (which we of course used for Chinese food....haha) for our 3-hour wait. Although we arrived in London later than we had originally anticipated, we were still just as excited for a weekend of adventure. Our first stop--even before we went to the hostel--was Starbucks. What can I say? Sometimes you just need that little piece of home, and a peppermint mocha did the trick :) Our hostel was much nicer than I expected and pretty good for my first hostel experience. Since there were 9 of us girls we had one room and bathroom all to ourselves. The hostel was full of students just like us and was located in the Hyde Park area, very close to the nearest tube station. After regrouping quickly, we navigated the city via the tube to the area around the London Eye for dinner. I met up with an old elementary school friend from California, Emma, who I hadn't seen in about 4 or 5 years. She now lives in London and goes to college at the Guilford School of Acting. It was so great catching up with her and introducing her to my friends while enjoying a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner (of Mexican food!!) on the Thames River.

SO EXCITED to have our Christmas Starbucks drinks!

Emma and me on Thanksgiving

Friday morning Shannon and I got off to a very early start. We set our alarms for 6:30am, but because we had forgotten to adjust the clock for the hour time difference, we were actually waking up at 5:30! It was quite an unusual surprise for me to be up and out the door by before 7am, but it felt good knowing we had a full day to sightsee ahead of us. The two of us got our first look at some of the major sights in the chilly morning air--Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. Then we met up with the rest of the girls for the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. We had to get there about an hour and a half early to secure a spot against the fence, but it was well-worth it and I got several pics and videos to document the experience. Afterwards, Shannon and I walked through St. James's Park(in all its autumn glory!), saw Trafalgar Square, and then met up again with the rest of the group at Chipotle. Can you tell that we are Americans dying for something other than Italian food?! Don't get me wrong, Italian food is fabulous, but we were all ready for a change from pasta and pizza! Crazy coincidence at Chipotle--we started talking to a guy who was behind us in line with his wife and young sons, and it turns out he was an ND grad! He and his family live in London now since he is in the Air Force. Always great to meet a fellow Irish fan and share our love for the place we all hold so near and dear to our hearts.

"Hands down..best abbey I've even seen" -Joey :)

So London.

:)

Front and center for the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace

Crowds gathering for the changing of the guards

Buckingham Palace!!

Lovely autumn day in St. James's Park 

Friday afternoon, all 9 of us went on the London Eye--definitely a highlight of the weekend. The sun was setting as we reached the top, making the panoramic views of the city that much better. In the evening, we split into groups yet again (as you can probably imagine, it's a little difficult to do everything in a brand new city with nine indecisive girls...) to see various other sights on our list. A few of us went to the Tower of London, which was unfortunately closed at the time, but since we were in that area we grabbed Starbucks (again) and saw Tower Bridge all lit up at night. Afterwards, we went to see the musical Billy Elliot, which was absolutely fabulous! The acting, singing, and the DANCING...oh my goodness, so incredible and fun.

London Eye at sunset

Simply amazing.

View from the top of the London Eye

We made Saturday another early day so as to make the most of our sightseeing time. In the early morning, a few of us went to Notting Hill and walked around the outdoor markets. Then we all met at Harrods--another highlight of the trip. I was so overwhelmed in that store, let me tell you, but honestly, who wouldn't be?! 300 different departments and 6 stories full of Christmas merchandise, designer items, gourmet teas and food, and so much more. Apparently there's also a pet spa in there--I missed seeing that, as we limited ourselves to spending only about an hour and a half in there. I could have spent my whole weekend and then some exploring this fabulous department store! The fact that it was all decorated for Christmas made it that much better. Christmas + shopping + London = heaven on earth.

I LOVE HARRODS!

Necessary.

Later that afternoon, we made our way back to the Tower of London while it was still open to see one of the sights I was most looking forward to--the CROWN JEWELS! The Tower of London is huge, but we managed to see the highlights in the hour and a half before closing, and I can say with certainty that the crown jewels were my fave! We didn't take a guided tour, but the security officers inside the exhibit were more than willing to answer our questions and give us just as much information as any tour guide. One of them stood there and pretty much told us the whole story of the British monarchy as it related to the significance of each of the jewels in the Imperial Crown. The concept of royalty there is just so fascinating to me since it's not even remotely close to anything we have in the States. I can't even imagine how much money those jewels alone are worth, not to mention, everything else associated with the royal family.

Our final sight of the day was Saint Paul's Cathedral, the Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of London. Many important events, including the funeral of Winston Churchill, the wedding of Charles and Diana, and the Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II, have taken place here over the years. It was beautiful, but definitely gave me a different feeling than all the Catholic churches I have seen in Rome. I definitely like Rome's cathedrals much better :)

On Saturday night, everyone wanted to do/see different things, so Cara and I decided on going to another broadway show at the last minute. We went to the discount ticket office and were ready to see whatever was available--we ended up at Shrek the Musical and it was so much fun! The theatre was full of parents and children, but the play was as top-notch as Billy Elliot the night before. All of the costumes and sets were so creative. We happened to be sitting right next to a family that was speaking Italian, so during intermission, I turned to the mother and asked, "Di dove sei?" (Where are you from?). She looked pleasantly surprised to hear familiar words of Italian, especially coming from the young blonde next to her and responded with, "Parli italiano??!" From there, we proceeded to have a brief conversation in Italian about where each of us were from, and what had brought us to London. She and her family were from Bari, Puglia, in southeast Italy and they were very interested and happy to hear that Cara and I were studying in Rome. I felt so accomplished practicing my Italian--figures it would take me going all the way to England to actually practice the language!

Cara and me after Shrek the Musical

Sunday was a long day of travel back to Rome, and we were exhausted from going constantly all weekend. But it was a relief to get back to our comfy room at the Tiz and catch up with Anna (Cara, Hannah, and I all went to London but Anna stayed in Rome for the weekend). The four of us then went out for a roomie dinner in Campo dei Fiori and shared our stories from the weekend....yet another moment of gratitude for my wonderful friends :)

Roomie dinner and desserts in Campo dei Fiori

So if you couldn't already guess, I LOVED London! It was so fabulous to have different cuisine and be able to read signs and speak in English. It made me feel comfortable and competent navigating the city almost instantly. I loved the architecture, people (and their accents!), and atmosphere in general--it reminded me of some of the east coast cities in the States. All in all, it was a good place to spend Thanksgiving, and DEFINITELY a place I would visit time and time again; however, I am VERY grateful that I chose to study abroad in Rome. My experience here is much more cultural in terms of the foreign language, customs, people, etc. Plus I feel so in touch with Catholicism here, and as a result I am learning so much about my faith and myself.

I'll be honest--I had some moments of feeling like I missed out at home/school this past weekend. After all, how INSANE is it that I missed the season that ND went undefeated??! Knowing that I won't be able to go to the National Championship game and seeing pics of my fam all together without me made me wish I were home. But I guess the truth is that no matter where I am in the world, at some time or another, there will always be someone I miss, some place I wish I could be. But know how much I am going to miss this experience come April 17th when I head back home, so I'm embracing it with all my heart and soul---and that's not hard to do when you get to live in the center of Rome on a daily basis!

Yesterday confirmed my love for Rome once again, as I went on an excursion to climb the cupola at St. Peter's. Easily, my favorite thing I have done in my time abroad! The 500+ steps were quite a workout, but the panoramic views of Rome from the top were well-worth every step. Looking out over St. Peter's Square, the Vittorio Emanuele monument, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, and all the other major sights of Rome, I had grateful moment number one million. Today I'm thankful for God, life, love, family, friends, my education, and this incredible experience. God is good!

Looking down into St. Peter's Basilica

Tiny staircases up to the cupola

It was a tad windy at the top of the dome haha

Bella Roma

Happiness :)

Day trip to Orvieto and more exploring around Rome

This weekend one of my roomies, Cara, and I went on our first trip by ourselves outside of Rome. We thought we'd start with just a day trip somewhere relatively close to minimize on cost and the stress of getting a hotel. Plus we wanted to still have some chill-time in Rome since we're going to be traveling quite a bit in the coming weeks. We decided to go to Orvieto, a small town in the countryside of Umbria (very similar to Assisi). We bought our train tickets online, got on the express bus to Termini (the train station in Rome) very early Friday morning, found our track (with some help from people at the station), and were on our way! The ride was only about an hour and a half and before we knew it, there we were, being dropped off in this teeny tiny town in the middle of Italy. The town was super quiet and several of the stores were closed at first, but it was relaxing just to walk around and explore a new place. We saw the main attraction there, the Duomo, which is a beautiful Cathedral with a colorful mosaic facade. In the afternoon we walked into a few other churches, browsed the shops filled with hand-painted pottery, took an underground tour of the caves beneath the town, indulged in a yummy lunch, and enjoyed a great bottle of the area's famous wine, Orvieto Classico! We could have easily seen this town in a half-day as it is extremely small, but our full day there enabled us to just hang out and be away from the big city for awhile.

In front of the Duomo in Orvieto

It's actually autumn in Orvieto!

My partner in crime for the day :)

Beautiful pottery...I want everything!

Crazy awesome views of the Umbrian countryside

On Saturday, Shannon and I went on an excursion to the Catacombs of San Callisto. It took both of us putting our heads together to finally figure out how to get there (2 buses and one metro ride), but we eventually did and it was well-worth the trek outside the city. We were the only two on the English speaking tour, and our tour guide was a wealth of fabulous information! Because it was just the two of us, he showed us some areas that we otherwise would not have seen and he let us take a few pictures, even though they technically are not allowed :) I learned so much in the short 30 minute tour. Here's a recap....Before Constantine legalized Christianity in Rome in 313 A.D., Christians had to practice their faith in private, so as to avoid persecution--and this included burying their dead outside of the city, in underground cemeteries (this is why you never find catacombs within the ancient city limits). The above-ground mausoleums within the city were built after the legalization of Christianity. None of the catacombs contain bones, because when the barbarians invaded Rome in the 800s, they destroyed the tombs in search of gold and treasure (they thought that like the Egyptians, Romans buried their dead with treasure--however, in reality, all they found were decomposed bodies). Because of the repeated destruction of the catacombs and for security reasons, the Popes in the eighth and ninth centuries ordered the removal of the relics of the martyrs and the saints to city churches. During the Middle Ages, these catacombs were abandoned, landslides obstructed the entrances, and no one knew of their existence. It wasn't until centuries later that they were explored and opened to the public. The Catacombs of San Callisto are one of over 40 known catacombs around the city of Rome and are particularly monumental because of their size and because they were officially the burial place for Rome's early Christians. These catacombs once contained the bodies of over one million people, 30% of which were children, which explains the many small tomb openings. Out of those one million, 16 popes and over 50 martyrs were buried there.

Catacombe di San Callisto

On our way back from the Catacombs, we visited San Giovanni in Laterano, the first Christian church in Rome and originally the center of Catholicism and home of the popes until the Renaissance renovation of Saint Peter's. Today it is still the home church of the Bishop of Rome--the pope. In my opinion, this Church closely rivals Saint Peter's in grandeur, size, and beauty. Similar to Saint Peter's, a huge statue of Christ stands triumphantly on the top.  Inside, all along the main aisle are gigantic statues of each of the twelve apostles, and above them, relief panels of events from both the Old and New Testaments. Everything about the church is huge and imposing, but it manages to remain comfortable and familiar at the same time. The Holy Steps (la Scala Santa) are located in a building right next to San Giovanni and are very impressive as well. Jesus climbed these 28 marble steps up to Pontius Pilate's residence on the day he was sentenced to death. The steps were brought to Rome by Constantine's mother in 326. The steps are covered with wood and have glass covered holes showing the stains from Jesus' blood. Visitors must go up the stairs on their knees as they pray, feeling the pain of Jesus as they go.

San Giovanni in Laterano

San Giovanni in Laterano

La Scala Santa

On Saturday night, we cheered our Irish on to a victory once again...11-0 and 1 to go! Scholars was packed because of some rugby game that had everyone's attention, so Cara and I left at halftime to walk around and pick up a bottle of wine. We went to the Trevi in the rain and it was the quietest and most peaceful I've ever seen it there.

Late-night Trevi visit and lovin' life :)

This week we only have 3 days of classes, then our Thanksgiving banquet at the Tiziano on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning a big group of us are off to London for the long weekend! First time traveling outside of Italy, so it should be a fun adventure!! I'll blog after the weekend, but for now, I want to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by those you love! I'm beyond thankful for each and every one of you and for your investment in my study abroad experience.

Love to all,
me

10 random thoughts about Rome and studying abroad

1. I forgot how much I love the Christmas season. All the stores and restaurants are decorating and it makes me so happy just to walk around the city all bundled up and see the lights :)

2. I have seen WAY too many men carrying purses and wearing designer shoes and scarves. Italian men are a little too stylish for my taste.

Is it bad that I wanted this guy's Burberry scarf?!

3. Although I love the busyness of the big city, it is always a sigh of relief closing the doors of the Hotel Tiziano behind me and heading up to my cozy hotel room :)

Home sweet home <3

4. So apparently there's a new Italian law as of a few weeks ago that you can't eat on the streets near and around major monuments. I guess it's so that people actually pay the higher table prices for food in areas with views of the monuments (like Piazza Navona and the Pantheon). All of us get food to go and eat it there anyway though.

5. I am making my peace with the fact that people are going to talk to me in English no matter what. The other day I attempted to ask a shopkeeper for something in Italian, and I guess he could sense me struggling because he said, "You can just speak in English if it's easier for you." FAIL.

6. There are labor strikes all the time in Italy (and I guess Europe in general). Last week we could hardly hear our business professor during class because of the loud music and shouting of the worker demonstrations right outside. I guess that's what happens when you go to school right in the middle of Rome!

7. I'm feeling pretty accomplished with using public transportation here. I mean, around Rome we walk most everywhere, but I've grown accustomed to figuring out the bus and metro system to get to some places a bit outside the city. It's actually pretty simple and makes me feel confident in navigating cities in general.

8. I miss some simple things at home that I didn't realize I would miss. Like free water. At restaurants you pay for water and bread. No such thing as getting it free. I also am craving American candy lately--like candy corn and sugary stuff that's bad for me. I hardly ever crave these things at home--must be something about not having access to it that makes me want it even more!

9. With each passing day I am growing more and more obsessed with my morning (and often, afternoon) cappuccino, caffe latte, or hot chocolate. I am going to go through Pascucci withdrawls once I get home.

10. Yesterday I had another one of those "my life is unbelievably great" moments. I've had a 4-month summer, I have a short 3-month semester here (which hardly feels like work, honestly, cause it's all so captivating!), then a month off to travel Europe over Christmas, then another 3-month-long semester, and another 4 month summer next summer. Yeah, I have it pretty good here :)

Il Mio Viaggio a Sud Italia

My week in Southern Italy was nothing less than fabulous! Each semester we have one planned group trip that coincides with our lectures and tours class, so this past week, all 49 of us, plus, Dr. Prebys, Dr. Economopolous, and Dr. Hansen set out for 5 days of tours and exploring in Pompei, Napoli, Paestum, Cuma, Amalfi, and Capri.

We left early Tuesday morning for Pompei, where we saw the excavations of the whole ancient city. Much unlike what we have previously seen (somewhat isolated ruins without a lot of context), Pompei is an actual city of ruins that really lends itself to better idea of how life once was there. We saw excavations of houses, amphitheaters, public baths, and stores, among other things. We divide the group in half and switch between professors, so my group had the art history teacher, Dr. Economopolous for the beginning of the Pompei tour. Turns out that as we were walking in past the ticket office, some of the guards saw her Rome tour guide identification card. Apparently it's a law in Italy that people who are not authorized tour guides in particular areas can't give tours there; so because she is only licensed in Rome, they questioned her about leading all of us girls through the Pompei excavations. We had to help convince them that she was there as a professor, and not an official tour guide, and we were, in fact, her students, so that they didn't call the Carabinieri (division of the Italian police)!

Tuesday evening we arrived in Naples, which was our home base for the 5 days of the trip. We stayed close to the train station in what we all deemed a kinda sketchy area of town. Dr. Prebys assured us that the Rome program has been staying at this hotel for 30-some years and we were perfectly safe, but even so, we were a little shocked about how different it was from Rome. I think some of the professors and Miss McHugh had instilled into our heads that we had to be very conscious of our belongings in Napoli, so we were a little over-paranoid haha. Near our hotel there were very few restaurants, so we stayed very close and ended up going to the same pizzeria right across the street most of the nights for dinner! Every night we were exhausted from our tours that by the time we returned to the hotel, we wouldn't want to explore anyway (we actually ended up going to bed before 10 every night....quite a nice change!). 

On Wednesday, we had another early departure for our second day of tours, which, I have to say was one of my favorites. We did the Amalfi Coast drive which was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Seriously, it was unlike anything I had ever seen in my life. Miles of hilltop towns, colorful buildings, panoramaic views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Talk about paradise. We had to split our group up into 2 buses because the roads on the coast are so narrow that they don't allow large buses. At several points during the drive, the road gets so narrow that cars going one way have to pull over and wait to make room for cars going the opposite way to pass. More than once, we would come almost head-on with another vehicle, often bigger trucks or other buses like ours, and the drivers would have to maneuver their way past each other on the steep and narrow road. Our bus driver was a champ so we clapped every time he managed one of those crazy maneuvers. Thankfully, we got to enjoy the experience from the back of the bus, taking in the beautiful views and capturing pictures as we went along. The entire drive lasted a few hours, plus about an hour-long stop in the town of Amalfi for lunch, shopping, and exploring the coastal town. Amalfi is known for its limoncello, so we went into this cute shop and bought adorable limoncello in painted bottles shaped like the boot of Italy :) I also bought my second wall cross in my collection (my first was from Assisi) at a cute ceramic/mosaic shop there. It is made out of the gold mosaic tile that covers the facade of the Amalfi Cathedral. The shop owner offered me a "special price" which is a phrase I hear all too often in all these tourist cities, especially Roma, so I bargained with him a bit and got a pretty good deal for such a pretty cross. I can't wait to keep collecting crosses from all the places I visit as reminders of my travel! The man who sold me the cross was a super nice man who spoke very little English, so we did our best to communicate with him in Italian. He had to repeat himself slowly a few times, but for the most part, Cara, Anna, and I had a pretty coherent conversation with him. He was asking us about the outcome of the election in the US and who had been elected into the "casa bianca"....so crazy that on election day in America (and my first election as an eligible voter), there I was in Amalfi, chatting with an Italian man about American politics! These are the small moments that I treasure about this experience.

In love with the Amalfi Coast!

Narrow windy drive along the Amalfi Coast



Amalfi Cathedral

After the Amalfi drive, we headed for Paestum for tours of the temples and excavations there. The highlights there are definitely the three, largely intact, preserved temples from the Greeks who settled there. After seeing so many excavations, we are beginning to understand and recognize various architectural and artistic styles from different regions and time periods. Paestum is especially notable because of the Greek influences combined with the local Italian style.

A nice surprise during our trip to Paestum :)

On Thursday we stayed in Napoli where we visited the Archaeological Museum, one of the largest museums in the world (you can imagine our excitement about that!). Dr. Prebys informed us that the museum has over 1,000 custodians. The morning tours consisted of many student presentations on statues, paintings, and mosaics. Although the museum was interesting, after a few hours the majority of us were going a little stir-crazy so we made the best of it by taking pictures imitating all the statues :) In the afternoon we went to Cuma, which was probably my least-favorite tour as it was pretty much just a cave having something to do with Roman and Greek mythology (I honestly tuned out many of the student presentations, oops ;)), which I'm going to be honest, is not my cup of tea! But we survived and ended up getting a free afternoon after the tours.

This is what happens when we go to too many museums...

Friday we went to the Capodimonte Museum, another huge museum located in the grand Bourbon Palace in Napoli. I enjoyed this museum much more than the one on Thursday because we saw mostly Renaissance-era paintings with religious subject matter. The paintings made me excited to take the art history course with her next semester, seeing as the focus is away from B.C. era architectural ruins and toward Renaissance-era painting and sculpture, which I feel is way more relatable and interesting, especially since I can recognize the religious figures and stories depicted in the paintings. We saw several original Caravaggios and Michaelangelos. Another highlight of the Capodimonte was seeing the original palace rooms decorated fully with art and furniture. It reminded me of seeing the White House rooms, but on a much grander scale and with so much more history. 

After the museum on Friday we spent the day in the downtown area of Napoli along the waterfront, which was worlds apart from the area where our hotel was located. Let's just say that I was ready to give Napoli a bad review before I saw this section of the city. I guess every city really does have two sides. We had the afternoon free to walk along the waterfront, eat lunch, and go shopping and exploring on our own--quite a relaxing break after several days straight of tours. On our walk back to the hotel that evening, we stopped in a pasticceria (bakery) to grab cornetti for the morning, and we ended up having a pretty funny conversation with the two older Italian men who worked there. One told me I had "belli occhi" (beautiful eyes) haha. No worries, they were not creepy like some of the other people who have talked to us. They were eager to help us practice our Italian and learn about where we were from and what we were studying here. I noticed that the people in the south are much more interested in us foreigners because they aren't as equipped and used to handling tourists as Roma is, for example. The blonde hair definitely made me stand out way more in Napoli than it ever has in Roma!

On the Naples waterfront

Our final day of the trip was a trip to the island of Capri, a small island visible from the Bay of Naples. It took about an hour on the hydrofoil boat to get there, and upon our arrival, several of us took a boat tour around the island which was super cool. At one point, we all got off the main boat and went in tiny boats into the blue grotto (a rock formation under which the water is reflected bright blue), one of the main attractions at Capri. We were all caught quite off guard by having to switch boats right in the middle of the open water and then having to duck down in the canoe-like small boats to get into the blue grotto. Once inside, the tour guides all started singing "Volare," their voices echoing and adding to the ambience of the whole experience! We spent the remainder of the day on the island, getting lunch exploring the shops, and taking in the breathtaking views. 

Capri is so wonderful! We had lunch on the deck of the restaurant on the right.

The Blue Grotto

By the end of the day on Saturday, we were all more than ready to get back home to Rome. I had been feeling a bit Rome-sick even after one day. It's so crazy how in just a few short weeks' time, Rome has become a true home to us. After a crazy busy week of tours and sightseeing that I wouldn't have missed for the world, I have to say, it was quite a relief to return to my comfortable room at the Tiziano. Now we're headed full-force into another week of school. I was looking at the calendar the other day in disbelief of how fast the semester is going. It's already past the halfway point! And between lots of projects, papers, and traveling, these next 5 weeks are going to fly by. I'm savoring every single moment of this beautiful life :)

Perspective

So, I haven't written in two weeks because so much has been happening lately. It seems like every day is filled with so many ups and downs that I can't even keep track of it all. Coming back to this and writing is my way to sort it all out and remember the things I have seen, the places I have gone, and the many different feelings that have accompanied my adventures. So, if you'll bear with me, here's my life as of the past couple weeks...

I found a bakery with the same name as my blog :)

I can feel the fast pace of life/our constant going catching up with me these days, as I am very tired very often! I am becoming addicted to coffee here because of this--to the point that I can't go without my morning cappuccino or caffe latte. This past Thursday was All Saints Day, which is a legal holiday in Italy, so many of the bars and caffes opened late (like Pascucci) or were closed completely for the day. Of course, Thursday is when I have my 8 am religion class, so I, along with the rest of the class, had to struggle to stay awake without our daily dose of caffeine. Ohh, the difficulties we face here in Rome!

Just a typical breakfast at Bar Pascucci--un caffelatte (or cappuccino) e un cornetto (or una torta)

Classes lately have been difficult, as we are in the middle of midterms, which, in most classes, are one of two or three grades we receive all semester. So needless to say, they're kinda important. I had an Italian test and business midterm this past week, a comm midterm this morning, and a religion paper and midterm next week. Last week was very rainy and cloudy, so I didn't feel as guilty for having to spend so much time in the library studying. Two weeks ago, however, I did manage to carve out times between classes and studying to explore a bit more around the city. Some days I feel like the city is not very big and I know it pretty well, but then we come back from lectures and tours on Saturdays on the bus and I realize how much more I have yet to see. It's quite overwhelming to say the least. For example, I went to Trastevere (means "across the Tevere River") for the first time, which is where the ND students' study abroad program is based. Anna and I explored the back streets (again with Rick Steves tour book in hand), went into an awesome bakery, visited some churches (Santa Maria in Trastevere and the Basilica of St. Cecilia), and went past John Cabot University. It's a cute neighborhood with some less expensive restaurants and stores and supposedly has a great nightlife, so I will have to return there soon. I actually got a bottle of wine there for 2,50 euro. Score :) Trastevere is very close to us at the Hotel Tiziano. I've learned that we can practically walk anywhere, and even if it's somewhat far, a 1,50 euro bus ticket gets you there. Pretty handy to have this city at my exposure 24/7.

My command of the Italian language is unfortunately not improving, as everyone WILL NOT STOP speaking to me in English!! But the other day when I was coming back from shopping with Shannon (did I mention I bought my first pair of Italian leather boots??!), I was approached twice in about 3 minutes' time asking for directions, in ITALIAN. I mean, seriously, when I want to speak Italian no one wants to speak it to me, but when I'm out on the busy streets, people catch me off guard with it that I can't answer quickly enough! I have gotten so used to ignoring annoying street vendors and people trying to sell me stuff that it's hard to distinguish between who to ignore and who to greet. I was so flustered when this group of Italians asked me for directions toward La Fontana di Trevi that instead of saying "diretto e sinestra," I pointed straight and said, "and, uhh, then, left." Not sure why they asked me for directions in the first place--I think the blonde hair would be a dead giveaway that I do not in fact speak Italian or know where I am going! haha.

Last weekend we had our final Saturday lectures and tours. We visited Palestrina and Tivoli; the latter was probably one of my favorite tours so far. In Tivoli we saw Villa D'Este, which is a collection of gardens and over 60 beautiful fountains. We were all super excited about it because it is one of the places Lizzie goes in the Lizzie McGuire movie and it always looked so cool and pretty when I watched that movie haha. Yes, I compare my life and the sights of Rome to Lizzie McGuire. Don't judge me ;) While we were in Tivoli we also saw the Emperor Hadrian's Villa, which was super cool, despite the rainy weather. A lot of the archaeological sites we visit are left up to much individual interpretation so Dr. Hansen encourages us to guess and imagine what certain rooms of former palaces and villas were used for and why. One of the highlights there was seeing the "Maritime Theatre", which in fact is not a theatre at all, but most likely was the private dining room/escape for Hadrian at his villa. It is like a little round island surrounded by a moat and with grand pillars surrounding the outside. It is in places like these that, although often difficult to picture how the structures once looked, I form a mental picture that makes me feel one with history. It's almost incomprehensible just how ancient some of the things we see are.

Taking in the beauty of Tivoli

Maritime Theatre at Hadrian's Villa

Hadrian's Villa with lovely statue view in background haha

One of the many amazing fountains at Villa D'Este

Another recent happening in my daily life here has been the introduction of some campus ministry activities by the 6 deacons who work with the Saint Mary's program. Mass is offered with them and rotating priests every Sunday and Wednesday night, which I have attended since they began 2 weeks ago. Saint Mary's has it's own little chapel right across the street from our library/classroom building/office which is super cute and intimate. Actually this past Sunday night, only Annamarie, Cara, Shannon, and I showed up to mass because a bunch of the other girls were at an A.S. Roma soccer game. We were outnumbered by the priests and deacons (there were 5 of them) and all 4 of us did the mass parts (singing and reading) ourselves! We are getting to know the deacons well and they are all so great with greeting us by name when they see us. On Monday nights they hold "Godsquad" in the classroom building which is just an hour of discussion on different Catholic topics, especially as they relate to things we have seen or will see in Rome. The first one two weeks ago was an introduction during which each of the deacons told their individual stories of their journeys toward discovering their vocations. Each was very personal and unique, and it all reminded me that priests and deacons are not so different than any of us. All of them are very young, and when we remarked that it must have been a difficult decision to make so young, they said, "People get married young all the time, so why is this any different?" I had never really thought about it that way. Both are lifelong commitments, and both require sacrifice, just in different ways. These deacons are on a journey just like the rest of us and they are a really great addition to our program here in Rome. All of them are Americans studying in Rome at the North American College for a few years and a couple will be ordained priests next year before returning to the US to work in parishes. After Godsquad and masses, Deacon David who LOVES gelato invites us all to get gelato with him at his favorite gelateria, Frigidarium. It ranks right up there with Giolitti as they dip the cones in white or dark chocolate. So amazing. Going to mass is becoming a dangerous experience haha.

Mass to ourselves!

In addition to Godsquad and masses, the deacons have organized several church trips throughout Rome that we can participate in. On All Saints Day, a few of us went with two of them to Campo Verano and San Lorenzo (both outside the city walls and accessible by bus). Campo Verano is a huge cemetery founded in Rome in the early 19th century for purposes of burying people from all different religious backgrounds, not just Catholics. The North American College has a mausoleum there which Deacon Nick and David took us to, in which former seminarians and priests from the college are buried. They said that since the college was founded in the 1800s, the seminarians would come over to Europe by boat, and if they died while here, this is where they would be buried. Campo Verano has thousands of other mausoleums for various religious orders and individual families and people are still buried there today. We also visited the adjoining basilica, San Lorenzo, which is apparently the place to celebrate mass on All Saints Day because it is the basilica for Campo Verano. A Vatican Cardinal was saying mass while we were there, so we couldn't walk around the church very much or see the incorruptible saints buried under the altar, but we peaked in the church and walked around in the back section. There were several Vatican guards around, and when I asked Deacon Nick why, he said it is because the All Saints Day mass is the most important one of the year at this particular basilica and because it was a Vatican Cardinal celebrating mass. He added that Italians are also very visual people so they like to visualize the pomp and circumstance of the occasion. He said that the collar gets you a long way in Rome--he sometimes walks into the Vatican and when the metal detectors go off, the security guards just wave him through!

Cute little nuns praying at Campo Verano cemetery

So much here revolves around Catholicism, and I think the natural mixing of church and state is so cool (such as All Saints Day as a legal holiday). Signs, monuments, stores, everything contain references to our faith, not to mention the hundreds of deacons, priests, and nuns I see walking the streets every day. Visiting churches, seeing tombs of saints and relics from their lives, and being able to walk just down the street to the Vatican are all amazing ways that make me feel at home here. Because no matter where you are in the world, Catholicism doesn't change. We all believe in the same creed, and whether it's spoken in Italian or English makes no difference. The important part is to bring ourselves back to the Eucharist for that gift of perspective. Last night at mass, Deacon Nick gave the homily about how professing our creed is a rebellious act because it is rebellious to reject the notion of loving ourselves as lord and instead be open to loving God as Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He talked about how often when we're stressed or sad we turn our focus to ourselves and our own problems because we're afraid that no one else is going to fix those problems for us. We try to do it all alone to the point that we become selfish, making gods out of unimportant worldly things. I found these words to speak directly to me this weekend, as I had been going through lots of ups and downs myself. On Thursday, my roommates and I had to cancel our weekend trip to Cinque Terre because of the flooding and mudslides that were occurring there. We had planned this trip for the 4 of us weeks in advance, had everything all paid and figured out, and then at the last minute, all our plans went down the drain (along with a lot of money). I was bummed to say the least, that on our first 3-day weekend of the trip (we don't have any more Friday classes from this point forward) we missed our opportunity to travel. On top of that, I ended up sleeping late every day this weekend and feeling pretty lazy and unproductive. But if I'm being honest with myself, I did actually get to do some cool things right here in Rome this weekend: I went to the Vatican again, went shopping with some of my friends, explored Via Veneto and Via Nazionale, watched another fabulous Notre Dame win at Scholars, discovered a delicious cannoli shop (I've already gone there 3 times and the shop owner knew my order right away when I came in last night!), enjoyed a relaxing dinner with a view of the Pantheon, explored a few new churches, and accomplished a lot of studying yesterday. It's amazing how a change in perspective can change your whole mood. I of course was justified in feeling disappointed about our plans falling through this weekend, but really, how much do my plans mean in the realm of God's plans for my life? Perspective is key.

Cannoli heaven at Ciuri Ciuri....about a 3 minute walk from our classroom building!

Dinner at the Pantheon on Saturday night...feeling blessed

Tomorrow our whole program leaves for our weeklong group trip to Southern Italy. We will be staying in Naples and visiting museums and archaeological sites there in addition to in Pompeii, Paestum, Cuma, Posillipo, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast. It sounds like it is going to be a jam-packed 5 days, but hopefully with enough coffee I will be able to stay awake for most of it! I'm excited for our first excursion to another part of Italy since orientation in Assisi. I will blog and post plenty of pics next Sunday once I'm back home in Roma!

Thanks for keeping up with me :) Baci e abbracci a tutti!