It’s been such a magnificent day!

Woke up this morning to take an official tour of St. Peter’s Basilica with Jill as our guide.

How could it get any better?

Well, for starters, we got to see Michelangelo’s Pieta.

Let me stop here and just admit that I cried. We were there, standing in front of it, listening to Jill explain its significance, and there were tears in my eyes.

The Pieta depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the crucifixion. But unlike many artists who portrayed this single moment as simply painful, Michelangelo’s interpretation of Mary holding a dead Christ in her arms is remarkable in its devotion to the Renaissance Humanist ideals of physical perfection and beauty. Michelangelo crafted the intimacy and majesty of a single moment frozen in time. He managed to add two opposite emotions all in one. And man oh man did I feel it.

That was one of the most touching pieces I’ve seen thus far, right next to the Jewish ghettos and the Synagogue of Emancipation.

After witnessing such perfection, we were given a tour of the Castle Sant’Angelo which is absolutely beautiful. It was the place where the pope had to flee from the Germans and lock himself in order to protect himself. He was saved by Swiss guards (who were all killed trying to save him) which is why we can see the Swiss guards standing outside of St. Peter’s Basilica today.

We were able to eat lunch at a terrace styled restaurant of the Castle Sant’Angelo, overlooking the majority of Rome.

Then we were left to do whatever we desired; the entirety Rome at our fingertips.

Mr. Hesting took some of the group back near the Pantheon, while Sara-Kay, my trip mate Daniella, and I went to this amazing store that we’ve all grown comfortable calling the Geek Store. It is filled with Medieval swords and weapons, Harry Potter things, Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, so much more!

There’s an entire section dedicated to fairies, where all three of us purchased one. (Honestly my FAVORITE store. The fairies were beautiful. That entire section screamed Eritha.)

After the Geek Store, all three of us furthered our shopping excursion, stopping by tourist type shops to find something for family and friends.

Then Sara-Kay and I headed back to our hotel to knock out some of our school work (phew). Towards the ending of the night, we went out for gelato, stopping to admire all of the hard work being done to prepare for tomorrow’s celebration of Peter and Paul’s heaven birthdays!

Ah! This day was one of the better ones (granted all of the days have been heavenly).

It was a day filled with relaxation, productivity, laughter, amazement, gelato…shall I continue?

The list can go on forever honestly.

But there’s still so much to be done!

Until tomorrow,

Drive safely 🙂

Today was our final class day, at one of the most impressive universities I’ll ever have stepped foot in.

It’s no surprise us kids were a little excited about our last day of class and looking forward to full days out in the Italian air. I know Challenger was surely looking forward to some outside time!

We experienced quite a bit the previous day, visiting about four places of worship. There are as many churches around Rome as there are McDonalds around America; and all of them are jaw dropping.

The Basilica of Santa Cecilia was my favorite one that day. It had a mural painting of Jesus and saints standing in the grass, which Jill informed, that it was supposed to allow the people to feel a little empowered by it. To know that Jesus and saints were in the grass, on the earth, made people feel like the same could be achieved by them, that Jesus and the saints were closer to them, and they could feel a closer connection to them. That concept was the reason it became my favorite church of the day (I should have really made that a segment in my daily journals. There are so many churches to choose from, I could’ve easily chosen a ‘CHURCH OF THE DAY’).

Today though, everyone was stoked for our night tour at the Vatican Museum! We left class with a lot of time to spare, so Mr. Hesting and Dr. Stark treated us to a day on the town.

I finally went shopping and bought some goodies for family and friends (woohoo!), and Sara-Kay and I loaded up on gelato (her more than I because she’s serious about this competition).

After about an hour of shopping and gorging, the crew headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap time.

Jill was meeting us at 6:45 pm, and we wanted to be alert for the tour.

When it was time to meet up, we met our Vatican museum tour guide Rich. He was an equally lively spirit, very enthusiastic about the Vatican.

His excitement made the Vatican that much more enjoyable.

We were allowed a four hour tour, but that would never equal enough time. The museum is massive, filled with centuries of relics and stories and JUST SO MUCH!!!

There were so many different influences from paganism religions, Egyptian culture, and Greek religion/culture.

It was so much to take in, in such a short amount of time, and I want to go back to get through the entire thing. We did however get to enter the Sistine Chapel which was….nothing short of breathtaking. It’s becoming incredibly difficult to put Italy’s beauty into words.

My eyes landed first on The Last Judgment. There was so much going on, it was impossible to comprehend in one sitting. The Last Judgment is a work of art, by the Renaissance master Michelangelo. It is the depiction of the Second Coming of Christ, and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity. The souls of humans rise and fall to their fates, as judged by Christ surrounded by saints.

And my eyes couldn’t be pulled from Michelangelo’s self portrait. (He had the skin of his former self dangling from someone’s hands). It’s a theory that Michelangelo had been depressed during the time of this painting, because before he had portrayed himself as a beheaded man. (These are just proposed theories. Either way, his creations were still magnificent.)

I couldn’t capture the Sistine Chapel either because it’s a rule, but trust me when I say it was un-be-lieeeevable. My little brother’s toy matchbox Dodge Challenger enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Until next time,

Drive safely 🙂

Today many emotions whirled around as we stepped into a part of history with much tragedy, anguish, and eventually, perseverance.

It was the day Jill toured us around the Jewish ghettos, the day we stepped into the Museo Ebraico di Roma, and my favorite piece of architecture, the Synagogue of Emancipation, or, The Great Synagogue.

Standing in the front, before being cleared for entry, I stood staring at the fragmented pieces of marble and stone, reading the writing and translations, feeling somber suddenly.

Going through the museum, seeing all of the different relics and hearing our guide explain the significance of everything had me holding my breath. It was emotional seeing the pain inflicted on a mass of innocent people, the things that were left behind, the conditions in which these people lived; the story is all it took.

The Jews were forced by Pope Paul IV to the opposite side of the Tiber River, on a four-square-block area, crammed in small apartments, with ankle high flooding every time it rained. These people persevered, never letting circumstances waver their faith.

Entering the Synagogue of Emancipation was a huge testament to that same perseverance. It was built in a remarkable three years and completed in 1904, with the support of an enthusiastic Roman community.

It was by far my favorite building, not only because of its brilliance, inside and out, but because of the story that came behind it. The grandeur of The Great Synagogue really showed the Jewish strength, the voice, and the overcoming of their struggles.

The Jewish ghettos no longer exist, but the history still remains. You can still see where the small buildings would have hosted Jewish families, but you can also see the newer reconstruction surrounding them.

Unfortunately my little brother’s toy matchbox Dodge Challenger didn’t get to have its picture taken inside The Great Synagogue. Pictures were not allowed, and out of respect, the Challenger and I just admired it with our eyes, letting the emotions overcome us more than an image ever could.

Until next time,

Drive safely 🙂

(p.s. guys this is coming at you from two days ago. I have been EXHAUSTED! This jet lag has been real.)

Ahhh, what a day!

Just waking up  to the Italian sunrise is enough to quirk my lips into a grin; especially with my hotel room’s great overlook of the Rome city streets.

Today though, the sky was littered with gray clouds, promising rain showers throughout the day.

That didn’t bother the group one bit.

In fact, we managed to enter two countries today.

The first one was the Vatican. It was only the Vatican because the most important man in the world was present. The one and only Papa Francesco, or, The Pope! A sea of people flooded the country, surrounding Saint Peter’s Basilica, preparing for the Pope to speak.

We all anxiously awaited his arrival, pressing our bodies against the iron bars and clutching our cameras.

We watched as he rode through the stone roadways in his white Mercedes, passing and waving with his famous Francesco smile (He was so adorable; I honestly teared up. It was such an amazing time to be alive)!

He addressed all of the different countries and organizations in attendance, and at the end he blessed sacred items of the civilians.

It lasted for approximately two hours (not long enough), and we did get rained on quite a bit.

Luckily the people around us were polite, and they beckoned us under their umbrellas when the rain fell.

After being in the presence of the Pope (and feeling like nothing could top that), we were given some free roam around Rome time, so my roommate Sara-Kay and I went to the
Italian supermarket.

On the way there, Sara-Kay bought a cup of gelato to add to her list of different flavors. (It’s this really intense record breaking game where the kids try to beat the record of 32 tasted flavors of gelato; so far she’s kicking ultimate butt.) And on the way back, she bought ANOTHER different flavor! Yeah, she’s going to win. Team Sara-Kay!

When our small break was over, we met with Jill and rode a tourist bus to the Embassy of the Holy See (this was our second country visited today, as stepping on the ground of the Holy See is considered stepping on American Soil).

We were allowed to question the economic foreign affairs officer on her position, how she got there, what is required to earn such a title, and some of the conflicts they have to face.

After that rewarding sit down, we reentered the country of Italy, and Jill toured us around a few places.

We went to a park near the fourth oldest church in Rome, and I was floored by the amazing view (you can see the Challenger posed right next to it). We also went to a place called the Knights of Malta (which is a sovereignty without any land) and peeked through a keyhole that held an amazing sight (which is super secret and I can’t tell you because I mustn’t ruin the surprise…hehehe).

Our last visit was the the Circus Maximus, (where a Rolling Stones concert was held the weekend prior to our arrival…we were just a bit too late unfortunately) where the first ever chariot races and major sporting competitions were held.

Now we’re off to dine at a new Italian restaurant! I have no doubt that the food will be delicious! I won’t describe any foods because I don’t want your mouths to water in envy, but I will say the food is better than anything I’ve ever tasted, and fresher. So fresh!

Okay, that’s all I’ll divulge.

Time to take my five year old brother’s match box toy car to dine with me.

Until tomorrow,

Drive safely 🙂

For our third official day in the beautiful Rome, the Dodge Challenger and I didn’t waste a second; as if any of us would allow that!
I’ll start off with this morning…and I mean the wee hours of the morning. One of my roommates and I winded up staying up (accidentally) until 4:00 a.m. I then had to wake up at 6:30 am in order to be fully prepared for the day ahead. Woohoo!

So imagine the exhaustion as both of us set foot into the classroom at the Pontifical.

Luckily, our instructors and the courses were stimulating enough to keep us awake.

After our classes ended, we all went for lunch. There was a small bakery not too far from
the hotel where some of us purchased sandwiches. Some of us went to an Italian supermarket and purchased a few things to our liking. That was an experience. It’s smaller than any major supermarket in the US, but it’s still stocked with many different items needed for everyday life. Also, the produce actually smelled like…PRODUCE! (who knew apples and bananas actually have scents prior to biting into them???)

I bought these amazing gummy bears called Fruit-Tella, along with these delicious chocolate covered cookie sticks called Mikado. Yum!

After lunch, and a bit of down time, we met up with Jill, who coached us on our FIRST Italy Metro ride. It was amazing (and thankfully less crowded than the buses)!

Once off, we met up with another tour guide named Ava, who showed us around more of Rome. We got to see many different Egyptian obelisks,  including the Egyptian obelisk marking the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary.

Not too far from that, we got to see one of the most awing architectural structures to ever exist: The Pantheon! (Mr. Hesting’s personal favorite)

The dome structure, the large hole on the top center, the portrait of Raphael, the history, and the beauty are only a few reasons I can give as to why everyone able should witness this masterpiece. Arriving to the front doors literally takes your breath away.

After parting from the Pantheon, all of us excitedly walked to the Piazza del Popolo,
where we tried our hardest not to look like tourists as we gathered with people to watch Italy take on Uruguay in futbol. (Unfortunately Italy lost, the game was 1:0. It was interesting to see the gathering of people, all supporting and interacting with each other just to support their team. That kind of support and pride without an all out brawl was admirable and I was so thankful to be a part of that.)

Italy may have had lost the game, but we kept on moving. We caught the metro back to our side of town, arriving just in time for our reservations at a quaint Italian restaurant. My roommate and I (her name is Sara-Kay; I keep saying ‘my roommate’ but she’s actually a really good friend of mine and thus I shall call her by her name) combined both of our budgets, split an immense Parmagiana pizza and a bowl of lemon and crema gelato. It was a brilliant idea if I do say so myself.

That was today in the lovely Rome, alongside my five year old brother’s toy matchbox Dodge Challenger. Tomorrow is just as promising! For World Religions, we kind of get to see Papa Francesco (only the coolest pope of popes. No big deal). So very excited!

Until tomorrow,

Drive safely 🙂

This trip to Italy is a big step out of my comfort zone.

Before now, I’d never set foot on a plane; imagine my excitement (terror). Stepping onto my first plane, my body almost went into shock. I couldn’t stop my limbs from trembling.

I took my seat next to the window, with a view of the left wing.

I looked up, seeing an elderly couple stowing away their carry on bags in the overhead bin. They greeted me with a comforting smile, and the lady sat next to me.

We conversed for a short while, before the plane took off and the actual horror set in. They were extremely friendly, telling me about their prior travels, easing my first flight anxiety. The woman even grabbed my hand, assuring me that it would all be okay. Their names are Mr. and Mrs. Prague (but not really. I didn’t catch their last names, but they did tell me their destination, so they became that for me).

Big surprise guys: I survived both flights! We landed in Rome, and as soon as we hit the ground, our day began.

We headed to St. Peter’s Basilica, climbing 28 flights of stairs to the tippity top of the dome, absorbing the brilliance that is Michelangelo’s masterpiece. And yes, you read correctly. 28 flights of cramped winding staircases that we all had to travel up; all truly worthwhile (for the beauty and of course the toning of the glutes and thighs). Then we got to participate in mass…AT ST. PETER’S BASILICA. I was able to do communion, which was a new concept in itself for me.

Afterwards, my lovely roommates and I dolled ourselves up for dinner at a small nearby restaurant. I enjoyed a Trevisana pizza, and even attempted to eat my roommate’s pizza (she was full, the pizza was delicious, and I have no regrets).

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel, and all of us practically collapsed onto our beds. A mixture of exhaustion from stair climbing and jet lag was all it took.

Our second day in Rome was just as eventful.

We awoke, enjoyed a light breakfast courteous of the hotel, then walked to the Pontifical University for class. From nine to twelve, the professors went over lessons in World Religions and International relations, but as soon as twelve hit, we wasted no time. We were back on our feet, eating lunch, then heading back to our hotel to meet up with our lively tour guide Jill.

We rode the real city bus (the space-invading buses with no mercy for those who are standing and forgetting to hold onto bus rails), all the way to the ancient ruins of Rome, literally walking through centuries of Roman history in one day.

Then we headed to the famous (but not so beloved by ancient Rome) Colosseum, where we admired its structure and story. Afterwards, we enjoyed a quick stroll through St. Peter’s Chains, marveling the paintings, and the overall exterior of the church.

To conclude our second day, we enjoyed light meals of salads (or meats and cheeses) and later made our way to Jill’s recommended gelato spot. (For all of you out there, Tiramisu gelato is where it’s at.)

Can’t wait too explore more of the beautiful Italia, capturing moments with my five year old brother’s matchbox Dodge Challenger.

Until tomorrow,

Drive safely 🙂