Hello everyone,

In our last couple of days, we were able to see the Vatican. Where do I start? The museum was an interesting collection of various artifacts and artwork. Everything from an Egyptian mummy to modern artwork and the infamous Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel alone was a sight to see. It was a long way through the museum to get to the chapel, but it was worth it. The detail in the work and religious messages, such as Adam and Eve being cast away from the garden of Eden, made it beautiful and interesting to see. I cannot imagine how difficult it was for Michelangelo to lay on his back so high up and paint the ceiling.

The Roman Forum was also a site to see on our last day. It finally stopped raining, and the sky was blue for the first day in some time. The ruins of the basilica were big for only a portion of the building and quite a site to see. The pillars of old buildings were huge. The garden on the hill was beautiful and had an amazing view of the city. The view included the old ruins and the new, modern city. It is also interesting that the old Roman aqueducts still supply the city with water. With all the people sightseeing and the modern buildings surrounding the Forum, I cannot imagine the area in Ancient Rome.

It is good to be home, but there are definitely things I will miss. First of all, I love gelato! I do not know what exactly they do differently to gelato to make it different from ice cream, but it is delicious and much better. Chocolate, caramel, vanilla, strawberry, fruiti di bosco, raspberry, and banana were all great. I will also miss the picturesque landscape of Cortona and Assisi. I will miss the interesting city of Florence with its outer landscape, many interesting museums, and beautiful Cathedrals. Last but not least, I will miss the fascinating ruins of Ancient Rome mixed into the busy streets of Modern Rome.

Ciao

Cortona and Assisi were amazing! These little hill towns have to be in the top most beautiful places in the world. With low lying clouds, the towns stood far above the clouds and looked like something out of a painting. Absolutely amazing!

Rome is pretty cool, too! It has been raining nearly everyday, but that does not bother me too much. I love the old ruins mixed in with the big city. The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and other monuments were beautiful and amazing. I definitely enjoy cities, but I realize I do not want to live in one. Cities are great to visit, especially Rome.

One thing I realize in Italy is the apparent fascination with male nudity. Male parts are in many sculptures, paintings, and post cards. Odd souvenirs.

An interesting area of Italy is the grocery store. There are many cheeses: some very good! The sandwiches and other foods seem fresher than foods in the U.S.

This trip has been truly remarkable. I have seen buildings, ruins, sculptures, and paintings that I never expected I would be able to see in my lifetime. I didn't expect to see more than Florence, Cortona, and Rome, so seeing Siena and Assisi were great additions!

Rather than writing about the places we've seen so far, which have been breath-taking, I'm going to write about something small that happened but struck a chord in my brain... if that makes any sense.

Our chef/waitress at the hostel in Cortona was a hoot. While eating dinner at the hostel, she found out we were from the U.S. and yelled "OBAMA" with a big smile. She then said "Bush" in a hushed tone, made a noise, and pointed two thumbs down. She didn't hold anything back, and it definitely caught me off guard. While some of our group hooted and hollered, I sat there and realized just how much some Italians know about our government. I've learned that many Italians know more about our government system and leaders than I do. I don't know much about the current Italian government system. This is a shame, and I hope to research the subject when I get home.

Unfortunately, in our current schooling system, we don't learn about other countries' current situations. We mostly learn about other countries from the perspective of how they affected the United States. It would be very beneficial for students to learn more about the current governmental situations in foreign countries, as well as their history.

I'm looking forward to our last few days in Rome! When I get home, I definitely plan on doing more research to learn more about this country that I've called "home" for a week and a half!