How to explain the Vatican Museum? In one word- astounding. By far this is my favorite place in Rome at the moment. The Vatican Museum is the second largest museum in the world falling behind the Louvre, which is no surprise, but this is something I didn’t know beforehand.

One of my favorite pieces is a Polish piece “Jan III Sobieski pod Wiedniem”, it is a huge piece as you can see in the picture. In it is painted a Polish King named John the Third who won a battle in Vienna. It is painted by Jan Matejko and the tour guide said it was the biggest oil painting in the Vatican. I loved how ornate the piece was and how mush splendor there was in it.  I’m also Polish so it was cool to see something that was made by someone from Poland.

Another awesome piece was this necklace made of stone mosaics. They looked like miniature painting but they were actually made up of tiny colored stones to make up the mosaic. The detail in it was exquisite.

One food item that I have never tried before is a dish that is made of spaghetti, pepper, and goat cheese. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I ordered it but what I got definitively wasn’t it. The black pepper in it was very strong, almost overwhelming and the goat cheese added in to make a very interesting flavor. It wasn’t bad but I wouldn’t order it again. Most people always praise Italy for its food but for me it wasn’t life changing. Yes it is very amazing and delicious but I have had amazing and delicious food before. I do love how fresh and authentic it is. While it’s hard to find a good Italian restaurant in America, its super easy here—just go across the street. I also had Italian coffee and wow, it is very strong, even with milk and sugar. The flavor is intense.

What is the most amazing food in Italy? Gelato! I am in love with gelato and the many flavors it comes in. Every store here sells it but only a few chosen ones have the try natural gelato some with 20 minute lines but its definitively worth it! My favorite flavor is nocciola which is hazelnut. Some could compare it with Nutella but it’s much better than that.

Also we visited the top of St. Peter’s Basilica which is the highest point in Italy; climbed over 500 steps to see it but super worth it. The view of Rome is Amazing and we could spy in on the Pope in the Papal Gardens, sadly we didn’t get to see him.

Chloe and I also bought some flowers across the street to spruce up our room. They smell and look amazing! It is fleeting beauty.

On June 24, 2015, we visited the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and it was awesome. After the tour it made me really want to join the organization.  The name of our tour guide was Allison who was from New Zealand. In fact the employer of our tour guides is also from New Zealand.  This is probably the first time I have ever met anyone from New Zealand. I love how international Rome is and United Nations. Allison actually was a journalist who traveled all around the world, and now she works in publications for FAO.

The FAO’s main goal is to achieve food security for all, which they try to do through many various global plans, global actions, etc. Food security is to make sure people have access to food to lead a healthy life.  FAO also doesn’t only deal with starvation, they actually also deal with malnutrition which includes obesity. FAO goes into countries after major disasters and assesses the agricultural district. Through their reports they are able to see what the best plan of action for the country is.

What I found interesting was how FAO each year has a slogan or a mission almost. 2015 is the international year of soil. These concepts are actually lobbied by other countries to the United Nations.

Fun fact: the view from their building is stunning!