I realize that's it's been some time since I've written on my blog and actually, a lot of time has passed since I was on my spring break, but I think something needs to be said about the week I spent in Italy! My first stop was Rome and it was awesome! Bonnie and I stayed in the same hostel so we were able to plan our evenings out together, spend the days together, and that was fantastic! She had gotten there a day before me, so she had already seen the Sistene Chapel, but we ended up going to Vatican city and saw Pope John Paul II's burial. How neat! No photos were allowed and I grudgingly responded with the proper holy respect they demand. But how are my grandchildren going to believe that I was there? Oh my gosh! In any case, it was really cool, but as is usual at this time of year in Europe, very hot. I have found the only cure for this hotness is gellato. Oh darn. I think I gained about 10 pounds in eating gellato alone, not to mention I had tons of pasta and bread (PS Bread in italy = definitely not as good as in Paris...). But in all seriousness, gellato is soooo good. Mmm. Anyway, Bonnie and I only had one day together before she went to Florence a day before me, so we made the most of it as possible. Another mutual friend of ours, Cesar, was in Rome during the same time and just happened to be in the same hostel, so he, Bonnie, and I all went out to dinner Sunday night and then found a 5 Euro mojito bar which was absolutely fantastic! The heat of the night was cooled by the deliscious minty drink and Bonnie, Cesar and I had a wonderful time laughing and talking about life.

The next day, I was by myself so I did as many of the touristy things I could before leaving for Florence. The one thing I wanted to see in Rome was the Sistene Chapel and that for sure happened. I MAY or may not have taken a couple of illegal pictures there and luckily got a great shot of the reaching fingers between God and the first man (I think that's what it's all about at least). However, the pictures will never ever capture the beaty and awe-inspiring painting that is the Sistene Chapel. Michaelangelo had amazing techniques that are probably ahead of his time. Amazing! I kept staring up at the ceiling and felt like I was being pulled towards it. The shadowing and the 3D look of the painting is just stunning. Kudos, Mikey, kudos!

The train ride from Rome to Florence was absolutely stunning. The beautiful hills were covered in trees and the sun was beaming down just in the right way to make it look as though I was seeing flashes of heaven rather than any place on Earth.

Florence was a little less touristy and a little more homey. I saw a lot of my friends from Ripon who I hadn't seen since they came to see me in Paris. It was really great to see them. We caught up about things in life and got to find out future summer plans, future life plans and general life dreams. It was great! Sarah and I walked up to Piazalla (sp?) Michaelangelo where there is a beautiful church and the bronze version of David, which pretty big, but I've heard that the real one is bigger. The reason I say I have heard that the real version is bigger is because I actually never got to see it. The dull day that I was there was May 1 and everything closes on the first of May for some unknown European holiday (there are a lot come May and I think it's the European way to take a day off of work personally) so I wasn't able to have a chance to see it until the following day, morning. Unfortunately, I wasn't really thinking about how huge a thing it is to see the David, so there was a HUGE line. I didn't have the time to be waiting there because I had to catch my plane in Pisa, but I suppose not having seeing the David is a way to promise myself that I will return to see it.

Sarah came with me to Pisa and we had the mandatory dose of gellato and then set off to find the Leaning Tower. Finally.....we found it. When I think about the path we took to get there, it was definitely not direct. But that's okay. We had no map, and I don't speak Italian so my inhibitions were definitely down about asking for directions. There's nothing like being TRULY pinned as an outsider (though I imagine my huuuuge backpack gave them a hint about it too).

The tower was DEFINITELY leaning. Sarah and I plopped ourselves down in the grass surrounding the tower and took some cliche pictures of me holding the tower up, her kicking the tower, etc. Twas merry and joyous.

My flight back to Paris was pretty uneventful, but I have to admit that hearing a language I understood showed me how much progress I've really been making while I've been in Paris in terms of my fluency. It was great to be able to turn to the person next to me and politely ask when we were supposed to be landing and him understanding me, no problems. Fun, fun fun!

My spring break was fantastic overall. I couldn't have asked for better hostels, I couldn't have asked for better people to meet, or sights to have been seen. I couldn't ask for better flight times or better adventures. I am content in the two weeks I spent outside of Paris and it's definitely a trip I won't be forgetting anytime soon.