Roma, Roma, Roma!

This past weekend marked the second independent travel break; Kim, Kelsey and I traveled to the capital of Italy. Rome was certainly an incredibly unpredictable experience. Our adventure began on Thursday afternoon after classes were over. We went to the bus stop but currently in Sansepolcro, there is a festival going on to celebrate the middle of Lent, with the coming of Easter in two weeks. Due to all the festivities, the bus stop had changed and we nearly missed our bus. We traveled by bus to Arezzo then took a train to Rome. It took about five hours until we were finally in our Bed & Breakfast. We placed our luggage in the room and went out to explore.

While walking around Rome, we visited to the Trevi Fountain. This is my favorite site in Rome because I love fountains. Back at Meredith, whenever I have a bad day or just want to think, I go sit by the front fountain; something about the water flowing is just so relaxing to me. During our visit to the Trevi Fountain, in addition to throwing in a coin and making a wish, Kelsey, Kim and I were bombarded by men wanting us to purchase a picture in front of the fountain. It was a little overwhelming because at one point two men crowded us at the same time but Kim used her favorite word, Basta and they went away. Other than the men with cameras, there was little no people there and I really enjoyed seeing the fountain lit up at night.

We returned to our B&B, called Domus and Betti, and planned for our next day. Our bedroom was covered in pink, from the wallpaper down to the lace on the end tables; I certainly enjoyed all the decorations. The B&B included four rooms: three bedrooms and a bathroom; the bathroom was the most interesting. The shower had a little ceramic panel on the floor with a draping cloth that didn’t touch the ground. Inside the shower was a sign insisting that no water get on the floor, ironically this was nearly impossible considering the base of the shower was the floor. After cleaning up the water from my shower, I went to bed and prepared myself for the next day.

Eugene, an older gentleman, ran the B&B. He was more than hospitable; he offered us maps, magazines and books of Rome. For breakfast, we were given coupons for a café down the street where we drank cappuccino and ate croissants filled with Nutella. Upon arriving in Rome we purchased a EuroPass for 25 euro. This pass was for internet access at local cafes, unlimited public transportation, and entry into our first two museums for free plus discounts at all the other museums for three days. Using our Europass, we took the Metro to our first stop of the day, the Coliseum. It was a picturesque experience; I took about 100 pictures inside and outside the Coliseum. I also overheard a conversation of a tour group while inside and learned there is a rumored secret passage that was made just for royalty to enter into the battles unnoticed and the most interesting part was that it is still unfound. I was interested to see if this statement was true so I researched a little bit about the Coliseum and what I found was slightly different from what I heard. There are secret passages that the gladiators used to reach the arena without being seen in the street; also, the emperors used an underground corridor to avoid the public. There was no mention of other secret passage ways still unfound, but I guess it still remains a mystery.

After the Coliseum, we went to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Rome was built on seven hills and Palatine Hill is the middle hill. This central location is one of the oldest sites in the city, it overlooks and connects to the Roman Forum. We spent nearly two hours walking around, getting lost and taking pictures in the Forum/Palatine Hill. The ruins are quite impressive on their own but the beautiful blue sky made for some unbelievable pictures. After taking another 200 pictures in combination with all the walking from the morning required a lunch break, we stopped at a sandwich vendor and I ate a delectable tuna sandwich.

Our next stop of the day was to two out of the three National Museums of Rome. I particularly enjoyed the first museum, Palazzo Massimo, because of the historical artifacts that are housed on the bottom floor. The gems, jewels and coins in the collection were very intricate with detailing. What I thought was most appealing was the connection to art; there were sets of jewelry paired with a portrait of the owner wearing it. I have definitely refined my interests from all the museums I have experienced in Italy; I now know my interests can be focused specifically on how individuals used to live. I enjoy seeing where the items come from, who owned them and how they were used.

After three historical places and two museums, we trekked on to the Pantheon. When we arrived, we found a lot of construction being done on the front of the building, but the inside was still able to be explored. The interior was intentionally designed to symbolize the arched vault of heaven; I discovered later that Pantheon means “Every God” in Greek. The structure was very impressive but there were so many people inside that it limited the amount of time I spent looking around.

Our total now ranked to five historical sites and two museums in less than two days, it was now time for a recreational break. We each treated ourselves to some gelato; I chose coffee, chocolate and strawberry- this was my favorite combination yet. After, we decided to walk around Rome with no specific location in mind and see what we could find. Luck seemed to be on our side, as I was able to find souvenirs for my brothers, my sister’s birthday present and I even found the perfect magnet to add to my collection. Can you guess what it is? The Trevi Fountain, of course!

After a text message dinner suggestion from Megan, we went to the Hard Rock Café. The wait was two hours. In the time it took for a table, we met Megan’s mom, I purchased a Bon Jovi Rome shirt and was given a rose. The food was well worth the wait, I haven’t had a real hamburger in what seems like forever. Plus, at the Hard Rock Café on the table was Heinz ketchup, which is only made in Pittsburgh (a nice taste from my hometown). The ultimate icing on my cake was in the restaurant there was a shirt Jon Bon Jovi himself wore in concert, it was framed and hanging on the wall. The thought crossed my mind a couple of times during dinner to ask how much the shirt would be to purchase but I restrained myself.

So after a very long day we headed back to our B&B and planned for the Vatican Museum the next day. We had every intention to be in line before the Museum opened, but fate had another idea. We were informed by Eugene that morning he had overbooked the B&B, which meant we had no where to stay for the night. We spent the morning trying to figure out what to do and if there was anywhere else to stay on such short notice. The result was that we had to leave Rome a day early because we couldn’t find anywhere else to stay. Eugene felt very sorry for the inconvenience he caused and he offered to lock up our bags while we went out that day, he printed us the train schedule, and made us espresso while explaining to us that whenever we come back to Rome he will give us the largest room. It was a slight let down to have to leave early but we did have a few hours left in Rome and we spent nearly half of that time waiting in line for the Vatican. Yes, we had also spent the same amount of time waiting for dinner the previous night. A word to the wise: whenever visiting Rome be prepared to wait. However, this waiting in line could have been prevented if we would have reserved tickets online a week in advance. Now, we know better for next time.

Just as for dinner, the wait for the Vatican was well worth it. We spent about two hours inside and I could have easily stayed longer if we didn’t have the time limit of having to catch the train. Surprisingly, my favorite part of the Vatican was not the Sistine Chapel but rather the hallway before it. This area was called Galleria Delle'Carte Geografiche and as we were walking through I heard someone say, “I could spend a week looking at all these paintings and I could still probably miss something.” This is a very true statement; the frescoes were incredibly detailed and covered every inch of the hallway. The Vatican was the perfect way to end our journey to Rome. Even though we weren’t able to make it to St. Peter’s Basilica as originally planned, it gives me all the more reason to return to Rome!

Pictures from Roma Adventure. Enjoy!!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032551&id=1397160099&l=3842c6a209

Woahhh, We are Halfway There...

I can’t believe we are already half-way through the semester. My class schedule changed this past week. It seems just as we get used to the schedule it changes. I will continue to have Justice & Liberty, Italy Today, Italian and service learning. I will no longer have Travel to Learn and Art History. Art History was an accelerated class and it surely kept me busy. I’m looking forward to having more time to focus on my other classes.

As a part of our service learning here in Italy, we must teach at a school in Sansepolcro. I’m am teaching elementary school children. My first class has about fifteen 5^th grade children and the other class has about twenty-five 4^th graders. The children have a standardized exam in April to test each child’s basic English language knowledge. I was given a booklet with the specific topics that will be on the exam. I will go to the school every Monday to help the children enrich their English vocabulary. My first lesson is to teach the class body parts and months of the year. The children speak mostly Italian and are more than helpful with trying to explain what they are saying. It’s really adorable.

On my first visit to the school I already learned a lot more about the Italian culture. Each student has a supplies trapper with scissors, colored pencils, crayons, erasers and pens. For the most part, the girls had pink High School Musical trappers and the boys had superhero trappers with Superman or Spiderman. I find it fascinating these American themes have spread all the way to Italy, even to the children. Another surprise is that one of the children asked me if I have ever met Chuck Norris or Johnny Depp; they all assumed since I was from America I would know at least one celebrity. The children were also very interested in asking questions about mio ragazzo, my boyfriend. I wear his class ring and they thought that meant I was married. I tried in my best Italian to explain that many studenti di comprare gli anelli per celebrare il completamento della scuola superiore (students buy a ring to celebrate completing high school). They wanted to know if they could get a ring once they went to middle school. So the children got to ask me several questions in Italian; it was very beneficial for me to learn more vocabulary. It was then time to focus on their English. I was surprised at how well many of the children spoke English. Most were able to say introductions, feelings, days of the week, months of the year and use various other vocabulary. It was very impressive. I’m looking forward to going back next week.

This past weekend I went with Shannon to Venice to meet up with her mom. We left on Friday afternoon after our Italian midterm. Due to our class schedule, we missed the only InterCity (IC) train of the day in Arezzo by a couple of minutes. IC are the cheaper trains and tend to take longer getting to one’s destination. So we both had to pay an extra twenty euro for a Eurostar (ES) train. It was certainly a new experience. The train is a little more modern with electronic screens announcing each stop. The section we stayed in had sections of four with a table. The bonus on this train was that there were outlets to charge computers. Other than that there was no huge difference from IC trains. However, ES trains are normally faster, but since we had a stop in Florence with a forty minute wait, the overall trip was not faster than an IC train would have been. Final conclusion: IC trains are little to no different from EuroStar trains; but now at least we know. Plus, we can say we’ve ridden an ES train…it’s always good to look for the positive in a situation!

Our journey took about six hours. We left Sansepolcro at 12:45 for a bus to Arezzo then waited an hour for our train to Florence. We had a forty minute wait in Florence for our ES train to Venice. We arrived in Venice at 6:33 p.m. After walking to our Bed & Breakfast to drop off our luggage, we had an Italian dinner at 8 o’clock. The restaurant was called Agli Artiste. I had the most delicious fettuccini alfredo. This is one of my favorite meals in the whole world; so it surprises me that it took me about a month and a half to have alfredo in Italy.

The following day’s big adventure was to the Doges’ Palace. For the people of Venice, this building has always been the symbol of the state: the residence of the Doge, the supreme leader of the city, the place where government and the court of law met. This three floor building has Gothic architecture exterior. I learned in my Art History class that the Gothic style evolved from the Romanesque period during the 12^th century. My favorite part of the palace was the main staircase; it was covered in gold plating and marvelous frescoes. The Chamber of the Great Council was spectacular and it was the largest room. I found it most interesting how much detail went into the main rooms and how basic the prisons were. I understand that the prisons were for criminals, but by just going down a set of stairs, I found a completely different atmosphere. The main rooms were very large and elegant whereas the prison rooms were gray, very cold and miserable.

Our next stop was the Basilica of St. Mark. The architecture of this cathedral is very different from the Doges’ Palace. The Basilica has more of a Byzantine architectural influence; this style has a great emphasis on a gold pattern. This church has three different naves and very impressive architecture both inside and out. Once inside the gold altarpiece on the great altar caught my eye. It really has superb craftsmanship, which was first created in the 10^th century and later enhanced with details in the 14^th century. I have noticed that many historical artifacts in Italy pay particular attention to detailing and I appreciate the quality of workmanship that is not comparable to that of today.

I was entranced with the architecture, history and art of Venice’s past; and now it was time to climb the Torre of St. Mark’s Square. It turned out that this tower is not for climbing but rather to reach the top by elevator. It was a huge let down to me because so far in almost every city the group has climbed a tower. It cost eight euro to be lifted to the top. Granted, I note this is very considerate of people who are not able to climb stairs; this service allows them to be taken to the top in a matter of seconds. However, I’m love the thrill of walking up the stairs hoping the view is worth the burn in my legs; then reaching the top, having the feeling of conquering the tower with the reward of a spectacular view. The lift was a definite disappointment but the view was incomparable; I really enjoyed seeing all of Venice from the water to the many buildings.

The rest of the day was spent having a delicious lunch, walking over the Rialto Bridge and searching for the perfect present for my brothers. The next day was travel day back to Sansepolcro. We ate breakfast at the hotel where we met a group of older people from Britain. It is very interesting to stay in a smaller hotel because it encourages one to meet new people from all over the world. Shannon and I spoke to our new friends and found out that they had just visited friends in Bath, where John Rose is from; what a small world after all.

A traditional gondola ride costs one hundred euro during the day and one hundred and fifty at night. However, the water taxi, that happened to transport us from our hotel to the train station, cost only about seven euro and toured the Grand Canal. I took about a hundred pictures and it was the perfect way to end a visit to Venice.

Next weekend marks another independent travel break. Where to this time? Kim, Kelsey and I are headed to Rome. I’m really looking forward to climbing a tower or something during my next adventure to make up for my little misadventure elevator ride in Venice. But also to explore the Vatican, throw a euro in the Trevi fountain, scale the Spanish steps, discover the Pantheon and so much more!

Oh Romeo, Romeo Wherefore art thou, Romeo?

From start to finish, what an adventure I had this past weekend, which marked our first independent travel break. Kim, Shannon, Megan and I all ventured to the city where Romeo first met Juliet: Verona. The group went to the travel agency a couple of days before the trip and purchased our train tickets. After comparing many options on hostileworld.com, we found a lovely Bed & Breakfast for about 23 euro a night. With bus tickets, train tickets, and a place to sleep, we thought we were prepared for our first solo trip…who knew a little word oveste could throw us for a huge loop.

So we knew we had to go to binario seven but our train was at seven west (oveste means west in Italian). We didn’t realize how large the Bologna train station was so there were multiple binario. We ended up missing our train because we were not at the right seven. We had to make new arrangements and call the bed and breakfast to inform them that we were going to be late. To counteract our little mishap, we treated ourselves to a much needed American cheeseburger. It was a nice change from all the Italian pasta and pizza we’ve been eating.

A few hours later, we found our correct train and made our way to Verona. The MapQuest directions were accidentally left back at the palazzo, so I thought it would be a good idea to take a picture of the map in the train station and use that. Turns out it didn’t have all the small street names on it so we ended walking around in the dark on a highway at about eleven o’clock at night. Being four college girls alone in an unknown city, we were a little paranoid of other people walking on the sidewalk at the same time as we were; so every time we saw someone walking towards us in the distance we would cross the highway so we weren’t on the same side as a stranger.

After walking around for about thirty minutes we finally found a business that was open. We went inside the café and there were three older adults playing cards. The older man, named Giovanni, looked at our map and explained how we didn’t even have the street name of the B&B on our map. He offered to drive us two at a time to the B&B’s road. Shannon and Kim left first and I stayed with Megan so I could keep her safe with my intense karate skills. After about seven minutes without any update on location, I called Shannon to see where they were and make sure they were safe. Giovanni came back to drive Megan and me to the other girls; it turned out he was really nice, drove us there safely, and I had nothing to worry about but you can never be too sure. It’s never a bad thing to be cautious. Once on the street, the B&B host came to show us where we were staying.

So we learned a lot before the trip even started. But half the fun is just getting there right? One, make sure at least one person in the group has a guidebook to look up unknown words such as oveste. Two, make sure everyone in the group has maps of the city and phone numbers of the B&B/hotel. Three, it is important to remain calm throughout the whole getting lost period. I was very impressed with our group: even though it was a bad situation we all remained cool, calm and collected; this was a great help throughout the whole process. Four, be grateful for any help that is received. Thank you, Giovanni and B&B host!

After a few lessons learned, we settled into our completely charming B&B. We shared a four bedroom that was decorated with two glass end tables, red flower décor on the wall and a beautiful glass chandelier. The other rooms in the B&B included a living room, kitchen and two bathrooms. The décor at the B&B was so modern yet retro; complete with vintage picture of Paris paired with a Marilyn Monroe picture. The quality of our B&B certainly made up for our crazy journey there. Due to our experience getting there, we formed a plan for the activities we wanted to experience the next day. Each of us said what we wanted to do and that activity was put on the list; I really liked this approach because we each of us were part of the planning process.

Castelvecchio was our first stop that next day. It was located less than a ten minute walk from our B&B; so not only was our B&B charming but it also had a prime location. By the order of Cangrande II della Scala, the Castelvecchio was built between 1354 and 1356. The design was created by the della Scala family to defend against both outside assaults and popular rebellion. Currently, this castle has a unique design; first, visitors enter into the courtyard area with fountains and greenery. They then proceed to a museum portion which leads to an outdoor view of the castle then back to museum. I really enjoyed this layout because we were given the chance to explore the castle while looking at art. My favorite part of the castle was the view over the Roman Bridge. This castle has such amazing views and incredible architecture that the group spent over two hours exploring it.

After a delightful ham and brie sandwich lunch with Coke and lemon, we ventured into the market. I found a lovely magnet. In every city we have been to, I have purchased a magnet: a Carnevale mask from Venice, a sunflower from Florence, an elephant symbol representing the contrada of torre (tower) area from Siena, and now Romeo and Juliet from Venice. These are special gifts that are small enough to travel with, plus whenever I have my own refrigerator it will be wonderfully decorated. In addition to adding to my magnet collection, I also found my Bon Jovi jacket.

After my shopping success, the group went to Juliet’s house. We each wrote our love letter and attached it to the wall. Outside Juliet’s balcony is her statue. For good romantic luck, the visitors are supposed to touch her right breast. I couldn’t bring myself to do that so for my picture I’m pointing instead…plus I’ve already found my Romeo.

The remainder of the day was spent experiencing Verona’s culture. We went to a candy store. We each purchased a bag of different candies then turned into excited little kids as we tried the various flavors. We then sent out for the Roman Amphitheater where assortments of opera concerts are regularly still held each summer. The views from the top of the theatre were once again incredible; it was just about sunset so the skyline was dimly lit and very picturesque.

All the day’s walking was really tiring, so the group headed back for a rest and freshening up before dinner. We ate at a nice restaurant called Il Cielo di Biancaneve. I had a wonderful pasta dish and then grilled chicken, my favorite! For dessert, we found a German restaurant with amazing chocolate fondue that had ten different fruits to dip. This was definitely one of my favorite days in Italy so far.

The second day was also another busy but fun filled day. We explored the Duomo of Verona, Giardeno Giusti and climbed the Torre dei Lamberti. The Duomo was covered in beautiful frescoes and had two large piano organs. The Giardeno Giusti had spectacular greenery, marble statues, and a scenic view of Verona. The Torre dei Lamberti has 386 stairs before reaching the top; it was a hike but climbing towers is just what the roomies and I do. In addition to the activities, we also spent two hours relaxing by a river. This was one event that couldn’t have been planned for but it was a great way to immerse ourselves in Italian culture. Italians are very leisurely about their plans and so we were too; we experienced the unpredictable pleasure that only relaxing by a river on a nice day can bring.

With two activity-filled days in Verona, it was such an incredible adventure. I would love to go back. Even the few bumps in the road at the beginning turned into a learning experience; Verona has to be my favorite city so far!

Pictures from this adventure...Check them out!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031467&id=1397160099&l=7951fa05a4

Chores, Family & Siena for the Day!

Each week everyone in the palazzo has a different chore. This past week I was on lounge control with Megan. Let’s just say Megan and I run a tight ship. Any cup that was left or blanket unfolded in the lounge, Megan and I found the culprit. I was “The Convicter” and Megan was “The Enforcer.” Whenever I found the mess, I informed Megan and she requested that a fine of two euro be paid immediately by the culprit. Two euro that way it’s evenly divided between us, we put some thought into our rules! We didn’t get anyone to pay her fine but next time we are lounge monitors together, we will implement the rules more assertively.

Another event I will remember for a long time also includes Megan and getting lost in Firenze at night. It was a group of five trying to get back to the hotel by bus. We got on the bus thinking it will just circle around the city and we will just get off at our stop: we were so wrong. The bus started driving over a highway, confused on we didn’t know where we were going so we got off the bus. We went to ask a local store where we were located on the map. The man told us we had gone in the complete wrong direction and we were almost off the map. He laughed when we showed him how far away our hotel was; he informed us it would take two buses to get back to where we needed to be. Luckily, while waiting for the next bus, a taxi pulled up and Shannon took action. We rode back to the hotel in the taxi, lesson learned: ask the destination of the bus before entering.

Another important fact to know about public transit is how the ticket system works. The whole system is based on a trust and honor system. First an individual must buy a ticket and then, once on the bus or train, he or she must validate it in a little machine with the time and date. The driver does not require this action be done, which I find really odd that the bus system is on a trust factor. Even though the driver doesn’t demand that everyone has a ticket, it’s important to have one because public transportation does random checks, where the conductor goes around checking everyone’s ticket. If an individual doesn’t have a ticket, then he or she will be fined. On our way back from Firenze, both the train and the bus were checked for tickets. Good thing I remembered where mine were or else that would have been a one hundred and fifty euro fine.

We also enjoy taking bike rides here. I’m looking forward to warmer weather so we can take bike rides more often. One day, Shannon, Megan and I went for a bike ride around Sansepolcro with no plan in mind other than just to ride and explore. We went in circles a couple of times and got lost but we did eventually figure our way and we also learned where a few new places including Sansepolcro’s tiny train station. It was really beneficial because when we went on a walk with Bekah, she toured us around places we’ve never been inside the city wall; we actually came to a point where the bike riders knew exactly where we were because it had been one of the places where we had gotten lost. It was a big accomplishment for me to know where I was and remember I had been there before, because I’m not so great with directions.

A trip to Siena was our big adventure this week. We left early Saturday morning on a bus to Arezzo then we took another bus to Siena. The entire trip took about three hours. Upon arriving, the group immediately went to the tourist office to request a map of the city. Afterwards, Bekah took us into the Church of San Domenico. It was very different from many churches here because there were a lot of windows and this allowed for an abundant amount of light in the church. This is uncommon because most churches are dimly lit with very little sunlight. Inside there were frescoes representing Saint Catherine. On the left side of the chapel is an altar that holds the head of Saint Catherine. It all seems a little too ominous to me that people would come to pray to someone’s head…but to each their own!

After that we went to the main square called Piazza del Campo. It is a big meeting place for everyone to gather, people watch, read, nap or relax. It is also the location where Il Palio takes place. Il Palio is a horse race that is held twice a year in July and August. The horse riders each represent one of the seventeen contrade, city wards of Siena, wearing colors corresponding to their region. Each of the contrade has a flag and corresponding symbol; my favorite was the elephant and it represents the torre (tower) area. For the race, a layer of dirt is laid circling the Piazza del Campo. The race lasts just a little over 90 seconds and hundreds come to partake in this event; the Piazza del Campo is filled with people from all over the world.

Also, in the Piazza del Campo is the Fonte Gaia. It is a work of art that is considered to be “the queen of Sienese fountains” because of its central location and impeccable detailing. The Fonte Gaia is three hundred and twenty one meters above sea level which makes it the highest elevation of all the fountains. This fountain brings water from the northern part of the city. The fountain’s panels are prime examples of Italian sculpture during the time of the 1400s. “Ci vediamo alla Fontana” is often said and everyone knows that it means the meeting point is in from of the town’s most famous fountains. This saying reminds me of the Kaufmann’s clock. This is because in Pittsburgh when people are meeting downtown, they say “Meet Me Under Kaufmann’s Clock.” Everyone knows where to meet, just like the people of Siena.

The group went to two museums, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo and Museo Civico. In the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo there were pieces from 1300 to 1500. There were many rooms in this museum with multiple levels; the floor plan was very unique and had different rooms everywhere. Perhaps, this is due to the fact that the museum is located in the corner of where the Duomo can be seen. From this museum I learned I prefer looking at artifacts – everyday household items – that describe how people lived (journals, pillows, lamps, etc.) rather than paintings and sculptures. When I go back to Firenze, the Pitti Palace is on my to do list; it’s a vast palace that for the most part is still set up as if someone is living there. The other museum we went to was the Museo Civico and it included several art pieces that we had discussed in my art history class. The most prominent fresco was the “Allegory of Good and Bad Government.” It was fascinating to see pieces we’ve talked about and learned about in art history. The scale always surprises me; the relics of Jesus were quite large, while the Good and Bad Government was tiny; the people could barely be seen.

Our other big adventure for the day was climbing the Torre del Mangia. This 102 meter high tower was built in 1848. Megan, Shannon and I climbed the tower; it took us about twenty minutes to climb and we spent at least forty minutes enjoying the view. This spectacular view showed most of Siena. I particularly liked how the landscape changed from city to greenery to mountains. After our adventure up the tower, we once again enjoyed some delightful gelato. The flavors I choice were coffee and latte, it was scrumptious.

Upon returning from Siena, the group had a pasta dinner together at the dining room table. Making a pasta dinner is a usual event here; we take turns supplying the pasta and we each have our own sauce. One school night, we had a pasta dinner with music playing and Shannon and Kim even made a fruit salad. It’s enjoyable to have dinner all together because then we can share the experiences from our day. It’s also as if we are a big family!

Next weekend’s escapade? It looks like the roomies and I are venturing to where Romeo first met Juliet…VERONA!

This is a link to my pictures from Siena! :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2030661&id=1397160099&l=fb60e11eaf