is it wrong i still think wine is gross?

its our last weekend here in italy :( i know i have been lacking with posting lately so i will give you a quick recap of my days.. last week we went to the Palatine Museums, right above the Forum, we went out to Ostia Antica and saw the ancient ruins of an early settlement outside of the city, of course we went to some more churches where we saw more Caravaggio paintings and to a beatiful church called the "chandelier church" because of its stunning multiple chandeliers.. Saturday we went out on our own to sketch and we wanted to go back to a certain church Leslie is doing a project over. We ended up getting there right before a wedding so we decided to stay and hide inconspicuously under the side arches.. an italian wedding is very different than an american one but it was beautiful and typically roman catholic.. we went back to the chandelier church where we caught yet another wedding in progress! we didn't stay long but decided to go shopping! i of course came out empty handed besides a swift little pasta cookbook im super excited about! Oh yea i almost got pickpocketed on the Metro but the lady only got my bag half open before i discovered she was trying to rob me! All is accounted for and i survived the scary attack.. well sort of. Last night Cassy cooked for all of us and it was wonderful! I don't know why i haven't made cheese and spinach tortellini myself.. it was definately a treat! Tonight we are having a group dinner and going to keep relaxing the day away which we've been doing since we awoke! Rome was crazy the last 2 days with all the President junk, there were more policemen, sirens, helicopters and riots than you can imagine.. I believe bush is now gone so we can enjoy a last week free of swat teams, i hope.. I have a few more items to get for people so i am hoping i will have good luck shopping.. Tomorrow I talk with my teacher about my final project ideas so I hope she likes them and is willing to let me do the ones i want and shape them around my fields of design and photography.. We only have a few more sights to see and a few more pasta dinners to have but the trip has been life changing and definately stretching and rewarding.. Thats about all for now i will try and post tomorrow or tuesday sometime! Hope you are all well and blessed. Eat some chips and salsa for me until i can taste that exquistie cousine for myself! Love you all and will be seeing you, or talking with you soon! Enjoy your sunday!

Love <3

Ps. I am already starting to miss my friends at Pizza Family and the Internet cafe.... cant i bring them home with me? we know how to communicate now.. we've got the hand signals and the regular orders down.. they are my daily fix of food and the web.. :(

Dubya

Bush is coming to Rome today.. we were down where he is coming in.. its a little church at the Piazza del Popolo where we were shopping and like a gazillion policemen and swat teams were there.. i could have met him im sure :) its about to rain like crazy so im going to walk home quickly but i will add more to this post tonight. .all is well in Italia and i have enjoyed the week back "home."

love to all

my Roman home!

We finally arrived back in Roma after our excursions to Florence and Venice.. we stayed 3 nights and 3 days in each city..its crazy how each city is completely different from the other in the same country! i absolutely loved Florence.. i dont know if it was because a lot of people spoke english and there were so many american tourists that you heard english chatter rather than italian.. the shopping was great there too! i spent more money in 3 days than i had the whole trip i think! the art is so great in Florence too.. Rome has some notorious buildings but Florence is so rich in art that I think I liked it better! Our hotel in Florence was literally right on the Duomo square and yes i did hear the bell tower chime every half hour.. grr..the food was pretty much the same excpet i finally found some white cream sauce(what we call alfredo sauce) on a menu and it was the most amazing thing i have had all month! Then came Venice.. and is it the strangest city or what! Its really neat that there isnt 1 car in the whole city.. all the streets are either paved or you take boats through them... It rained the first two days we were there but it was an adventure.. It was super cold those 2 days too! We explored the little islands there.. we went to Murano the little island where they make all the Murano glass! it was awesome! We saw a demonstration of glass blowing.. thats art and talent if you ask me.. The food in venice is a little different- the pizza looks american in the triangle slices and there is more pesce or fish on the menu than a non-fish lover could dream about! I had some good pesto pasta and a lot of pizza.. We took a 5 hour train ride back to Rome yesterday and we got in around 7:30.. traveling is fun but a little hectic with a group but we all made it alive and safe back in our Residence.. we have the day off today so we are going grocery shopping and washing clothes! Im starting to get just a little homesick but i think its just because im tired and this is like the last leg of the race and i can see the finish ahead.. but i am going to enjoy every last moment here before its gone! Continue to pray for me while im here and pray for a heart to love the people here and to unconditionally love the group im here with all the time! Also pray for the staff at Pine Cove as they are in their first full week of campers! I love you all and will post again soon.. i will put picutres up again if i have a few hours to do so! Love you all so much and thanks for all your support and love!!

ps. i totally forgot to tell you i went on a gondola ride at night! it was super amazing.. its so quiet and serene at night because there really arent many people whoh live in venice.. its too expensive so they live on the mainland across the ocean.. giovanni was our little paddler man and he was very sweet and kind.. we spent most of that day with our teacer Jacque and she is a lot of fun to hang out with.. she just has this goofy personality and she lightens up a lot when in small groups..

this post is uber long but i thought why make a new post when i could modify this one.

today we had a short day and we went to a few churches and the pantheon.. the pantheon is really neat.. i know dad would love most of the buildings i am seeing..

i am so ready to be able to drive a car because everyday the public transportation really scares me more and more.. plus i miss florence and venice where i felt more safe from the people and surroundings. but its teaching me that its my job to change the way people are by being an example of Christ because they are so oblivious to his grace..

well im going to get some pizza and fold my laundry.. i really miss washing machines.. this whole turning my bathtub into a laundromat is hard work! plus our room is strung out with clothes lines.. it just makes me appreciate them so much more!

im doing great and enjoying the time here! wish you all could jump over here for a bit! take care and ill post soon.. love you all