Mama Mia!

Oh man, what a week it has been! I think I say that every week, but seriously this was a week unlike any other. Our plane left at 9:50, but Ryanair is a bit sketchy so we had to leave for the airport at 6:30! Earliest I've been up in a while! Ryanair is a funny little airline with super cheap flights. You definitely get what you pay for, though. They come on the intercom every five minutes and try to sell something. But no worries, it was well worth it! I got to Italy around noon and had to catch a bus to the hotel. This was my first experience with Italian and they did not leave a good first impression! The bus was supposed to come every half hour and didn't come for an hour and half. When Ali and Kristie went to ask someone about it, a bus finally came. Me and Veronica got on it and Kristie and Ali ran after it. The man taking tickets to get on wouldn't let them on! He said, "Are those your friends? Well then, tell them good bye!" He was super rude. But Kristie and Ali just ran on anyway. Thank goodness!

When we got to our hotel, we found ourselves in the cutest little Bed and Breakfast ever. The owner was such a sweetheart, he gave us his card and said to call him anytime if we needed help. Our room was super cramped, but a cute little place nonetheless. We decided to take a walk around the city and orient ourselves with Rome. We made our way down to the Trevi Fountain. I made the best wish ever and threw my euro in the fountain! This one better come true!!

 

That night, we went to possibly the best restaurant I've ever been to, a little pizzeria called Francesco's. I was super excited to try some authentic Italian food. Italian is already my favorite food in all the world and eating the real thing was like a dream come true! I ate a margherita pizza and carbonara pasta, all a girl could ever ask for! I also bought some gelatto from the NY Times voted best gelatto in all the world. In all honesty, it was delicious but didn't live up to the hype. It was around seven euro for a little tiny scoop. BUT I have officially tasted the best ice cream in the world. 

The next morning we went to... THE COLOSSEUM!! Oh man, it was all I'd ever hoped for and more! I was amazed at the size of it! Seriously, it's one place in the world everyone should see. We read about how slaves or criminals would fight to the death in the Colosseum for thousands of people to watch! I can't even imagine sitting in there watching that for fun. But now it's a super sweet building.

As if one incredible monument isn't enough, we went to the Vatican after the Colosseum! But first, of course, we got more delicious Italian food. I fell in love with the pesto in Italy. I had it at quite a few meals. seriously. INCREDIBLE! The good thing about Rome is that you walk a ton, so you don't feel so bad stuffing your face full of carbs all day every day. I probably walked like 20 miles a day. We went over to the Vatican and saw the museum there, along with the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel was simple beautiful. I wasn't so impressed with the painting as I was with Michelangelo's knowledge and depth of philosophy he put into the paintings. My favorite part was definitely the Last Judgement painted along the back wall. I wish they would have let me take pictures of this room, but of course cameras weren't allowed. We made our way over to St. Peter's Square and began our hike up the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. I can't even explain this to you. It was like 300 something stairs. and the walls were skinny and they slanted. It was a claustrophobic glute workout is the best way I can describe it! But it was all worth it when we got to the top and were able to look out over the square. What a great view! We met a group of students from all over the world in St. Peter's Square. They were a Christian group who met up together in Rome for Spring Break. They were such a nice group and we even danced with them a little bit in the square. 

The next day we went to the Spanish Steps. This was a great place to just relax for a bit. It was great weather so we just laid on the steps for a while. After all that walking, it felt good to just sit. I fell dead asleep sitting on them. After, we went to the Borghese Gallery. Kristie and I had our hearts set on renting vespas to drive around town, but between the Colosseum, Vatican and Borghese Gallery there wasn't time! Luckily, I found myself an Italian man on the street with a Vespa! I can now die a happy girl. That night, we met up with the rest of our group who were in Rome for a pizza party. We got a lot of food for pretty cheap, but it wasn't the best way to end my trip. The food didn't compare with what I'd had earlier that week, it was actually not very good at all. But it was so good to be back with all the girls and hear about their adventures. I flew home early the next morning. It all felt like some crazy fantasy dream, being in Rome and seeing all the sites. I absolutely loved all my experiences I had there, but in all honesty I'm so happy I live in Spain. I feel like Spain is for living and Italy is for visiting.