19 hours left!

The countdown has begun. I'm trying to pack before going out and enjoying on last cone of gelato and pizza. I'll be in Chicago around 3pm tomorrow for a few days before going home on Sunday.

I'll post more pictures once I get to Chicago!

Ciao Roma!

My Final Week

Yesterday I finally checked out the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, (about time, I know) had the soccer finals, and wrote a few final papers. Tonight is the end-of-the-year banquet and mock elections. Pictures/results to come. This weekend my goals are : catacombs and pompeii.

Can't wait to see everyone.

Tuscany

This weekend I went on my final weekend trip - sad!

It was a weekend devoted to food and wine and was the perfect way to wrap up the semester and prepare/relax before finals. It was three full days of eating, napping, and more eating.

Friday 16 April: Welcome to Tuscany!

Villa Dievole - Guided tours of historic cellars with wine tasting

Cinta Senese Pig Farm and Goat Cheese Farm

Montestigliano - the villa we stayed at - amazing. it was a 2500 agricultural estate owned and farmed by the Donati family for over 50 years

Saturday 17 April: The Hill Towns of Chianti

Castellina in Chianti

We began the day with the town's traditional open-air market (I bought a sweet new bag)

Tour of Museo Archeologico del Chianti Senese - Etruscan History

Traditional Tuscan lunch

Cooking demonstration: Pizza and Pasta

-Tagliatelle

-Gnocchi

-Pizza 'Ciaccino bianco'

Dinner at Montestigliano

Saturday was also Lily's 20th - Happy Birthday Lily!

Sunday 18 April: Montestigliano

Olive oil tasting: Olive oil and bruschetta followed by a walk in the olive groves

"Traditional Sunday Lunch with the JFRC Family"

Thankfully I was on a school trip in the country and was not affected by the volcanic ash - the other school trip to Prague was stuck and some of the students are still not back to campus. The students that went with the school had to take a 22-hour bus ride because all flights into Rome were cancelled.

WWII Trip

This past weekend, I went on the school subsidized World War II Weekend. Two of the JFRC Alumni fly back every semester and take us on a WWII tour of Rome. They gave us detailed tours, bought us delicious meals, and I learned a ton of history of both the American and the Italian troops. (My best last minute decision.)

On Friday we visited Piana delle Orme Museum, the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, and the Anzio Port.

The Piana delle Orme Museum covered many areas of life through the centuries in the region of the Agro Pontino, the area south of Rome on the way to the Circeo promontory.

It also holds many restored military vehicles from WW2 and has dedicated sections to the Anzio Beach landings, to the battle of Cassino and other events. Among the vehicles displayed there is the only fully functional Sherman tank in Europe... maybe in the world. It was THE coolest museum I have ever been to. It was full of life-size dioramas that were interactive and moved! The plane propellers moved, the ground shook when bombs hit, and there were sound and light effects.

Next was the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial. The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy covers 77 acres- a huge field of headstones of 7,861 of American soldiers. The majority of these men died in the liberation of Sicily (July 10 to August 17, 1943); in the landings in the Salerno Area (September 9, 1943) and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead (January 22, 1944 to May 1944); and in air and naval support in the regions. The memorial expressed America's remembrance of the dead, engraved with the names of 3,095 of the missing.

The wreath we brought ^ shown beneath the Brothers in Arms statue - Navy on the left, Army on the Right

Against Me!'s new album leaked, and their song 'White Crosses' disappoints me. After seeing the 7,860 marble crosses, I found the song offensive. Bummer.

Next was the Anzio Port. Anzio and Nettuno are also notable as sites of an Allied forces landing (Operation Shingle) and ensuing battle (known as the Battle of Anzio) during World War II. In January 1944 British and US forces made a landing on the beaches of Anzio, in the assault that was to liberate Rome from German occupation.

My room mate Kristen and I on the beach near Port Anzio - where the Allies landed.

After our visit to the Port, we had dinner at l'Entoteca da Vito dell'Orologio in Latina. It was a delicious 5 course meal. I sat with 5 students I didn't really know, and after mentioning the Glee season premiere tonight, I had 5 new friends.

Saturday Morning, we had another half day on the trip.

We visited the Fosse Ardeatine, Museo della Liberazione, Via Rasello and then lunch at L'archetto. The lunch on Saturday was definitely one of my top 3 meals in Italy. The place is famous because they have 100 types of spaghetti. We had appertivos, spaghetti of our choise, wine, and dessert. It was fantastic. 6 types of bruschetta! (pronounce it bru-sketta, or they'll kill you)

Fosse Ardeatine - the caves where the Germans massacred 335 Italians as a reprisal for the partisan attack on Via Rasella was our first stop. We worked in reverse chronological order. First we saw the caves, cemetery, and memorial for the reprisal for the attack. Then we saw the Nazi prison were those murdered at the caves were held, and then we saw the street on which the attack took place. There were still bullet holes in the sides of the buildings.

Via Rasella - where the partisan attack took place. Communist students filled a metal garbage bin with TNT and set it off as the German soldiers walked through the street.

Bullet holes from some of the partisans that opened fire on the Germans.

Not a very uplifting trip, but I certainly learned a lot. After lunch we were free for the afternoon, and I spent it with a few girls wandering the gardens at Villa Borghese.

Tomorrow brings Calcio playoffs. After Team Chocolato's upset of the semester last week, (we beat the #2 ranked team, some thought it couldn't be done..) we are set in the brackets against Team Orange. Results to come. There was another broken leg last week... I'll do my best to avoid injury.

Holy Weekend

I spent Holy Thursday with my super-cool room mate Kristen. She is awesome, I don't think I could have lucked out any more with my living situation.

On Good Friday (now known as Great Friday), I went to the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum and was able to get my first peak at Pope Benedict. We were very close and the weather was beautiful.

Lots of people out and about. We were there about 3 hours early and met up with a bunch of people from the JFRC.

Where Pope Benedict stood and spoke, I don't have a great picture of him.

A bunch of JFRC-ers in the crowd.

Then on Saturday we joined the line at 3:00 p.m. for the Easter Vigil mass having already reserved tickets back in January. We went in a big group and were some of the first people there which was nice. The following picture is my room mate Kristen and I taking a gelato break in front of the Vatican doors.

As the doors opened at 7:30 it was madness. Thousands of people were running, screaming and pushing to get into St. Peter's. Nuns, priests, deacons, and hundreds of sneaky seminarians were cutting ME in line. You would think a bunch of honest Catholics would honor a line on EASTER. No. We ended up being in the back of St. Peter's, but at least we were able to get seats. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I do not ever need to repeat. Very frustrating.

10,000 people were let in for the 4 hour Latin Easter Vigil. Here is my last picture of the seats outside - they probably had a better view of the Pope than I did, but he walked right past us up and down the isle!

Saturday was a beautiful day to be outside. The school gave students tickets for the 10:30 a.m. mass Easter Sunday... it poured the whole 3 hours that they waited. As nothing was open yesterday, I ate my Easter Feast at a local Chinese restaurant. It was definitely an Easter to remember. Last night we screened Angels and Demons in one of the classrooms which was very exciting to recognize all of the streets, monuments, and churches right here in Rome.

Today has been a rainy sweatpants/laundry/homework kind of day. 3 more weeks in Rome.

Hope you all had a Buona Pasqua - Happy Easter.

I definitely missed the Shireys/Denhofs yesterday.

Side note: The girl I volunteer with had her wallet stolen on her way to the Vatican Saturday. I have never been happier about my steal strapped theft-proof purse! (Seen in all of my pictures)

A Series of Awkward Solo Pics from London

After many errors I'm going to post mainly photos from my trip to London last weekend. London was awesome and a ton of fun. The worst part had to be the exchange rate for the British Pound- worse than the Euro! After a few minor problems with our flight back to Rome from London we were on our way Friday morning. British Airways was still on strike, but we had our plane crewed by a different airline.

Friday night in London we were able to get discounted tickets to see Sister Act. It was awesome.

Embarrassing. Self explanatory.

Unfortunately the flag flying meant that the Queen was NOT home, so I didn't get the chance to see her or the handsome princes.

I'm standing in my red coat and hiking shoes (what else is new) - seriously, it looks as if I traveled everywhere in one day. Annnyway, this is where King Henry used to have his jousting tournaments. (Love the Tudors!) This is also where the 2012 Olympic Volleyball games will be played. Fun facts!

Oh ciao Big Ben!

The Tower Bridge.

Sunday we went on a free walking tour of the different palaces and were given a lot of history and then checked out the London Bridge (disappointing), Tower Bridge (Way Cooler), and then the Tower of London which was unfortunately closed.

RIP Anne Boleyn