Hola Espana!!

March 9th - March 13th, 2013
Barcelona, Spain!
Quick Update/Overview!



Hola!!
Spain was different then I expected, or at least Barcelona was. I imagined it to be not as developed, but it was cool to be in a big city. After taking a flight from Pisa, then having to find a different bus to get to town (since the way I was suppose to go was closed) I finally got to the apartment around 1 am. Talk about culture shock! I had been in Italy for so long I didn't know which language to speak when I got there. I made it though and was super excited to check out the new country, city!
Spaniards eat dinner super late, I'm talking 10:30pm-midnight, and I thought Italian people ate late. There were still people sitting down to eat dinner at midnight when we were there, crazy! They also get up later and take siestas so that would explain why everything is ran so much differently there. Oh and the Tapas, amazing!!!

Barcelona was so much fun! I got to stay with some amazing girls and experience so many things! Some things I experienced were shocking, some purely peaceful, some just incredible and fun! Like taking a cable car up a mountain to a Catholic Monastery..then walking up more to the chapel with statues of the rosary on the way that we meditated on with a breathtaking view! (Jesus on the cross at the top)

I had so much fun spending time just exploring the city, the markets, and going to the sea!! I also got to go and learn salsa dancing, so fun! I learned how to cook authentic Spanish food & sangria, and we went to watch a big soccer game with a restaurant of Screaming fans! The girls were and the whole trip to Barcelona was such a blessing! There are so many things I wish I had time to share. I am so grateful for it all and trying to focus on what God wants me to do/be/get out of everything and just have fun. :)
Adios!

A day in Pisa!

March 9th 2013


Pisa March 9th 2013

I left Rome to take a day trip to Pisa before flying out from there to Barcelona. I was super excited to take the day trip to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Cathedrals there. It was unreal to be there when I've seen it in pictures all these years. I spent time checking out the peaceful churches, goofing off by the leaning tower taking pictures, and met some American girls for dinner. Pisa's city center was very small, which made it easy to navigate. It was rainy, which seems to be typical everywhere this time of year, but I still had a lot of fun exploring! It is definitely a great day trip for anyone to go if your in Italy!

Roma Round 2!!

February 28th - March 9th 2013


Back in Rome!! Oh my gosh.. so much happened in Rome! It's not realistic for me to share all of it in the blog, since I barley have free time, so I will just share a few things.

My First weekend back in Rome:
Another week in Rome! I was super excited to be back in the big city! It was refreshing to be there again and exciting to know how much more I will get to see there and experience. The Pope was to be soon chosen which made me even more excited!!

Walking out of the train station in Rome my suitcase had a malfunction. The wheel broke off which made the walk to the girls apartment that we were staying with quite difficult. It was so sweet of the girls to let us stay with them for a couple days, I was so excited to see them all again! I ended up having to drag my suitcase across town, got some odd looks from people, but it made it there and that's all that matters. I was so happy to be back in Rome though so it was okay and I smiled through it all!

Catherine and I were super excited to get out in the city. We were in Rome so why not go for a run to the Vatican! WE RAN TO THE VATICAN! How cool is that to be able to say.. Yeah I'm just going to go for a run to the Vatican and through Rome!  I Love it! That has been one of my favorite things to do, to run in all the different cities.

Reaching the Vatican was so incredible and moving. I couldn't believe I was there. I was at the Vatican, the very foundation of my Catholic faith!! St Peters Square is beautiful! I was so moved by being there and I hadn't even gone inside yet. I still can't believe I was able to go! I was in complete awe of being able to be in the very place that so many Saints, Popes, etc have been. -- just being there...wow!

We had dinner at Antonio's, Dell O'mo, the very first Italian friend we made on our first night in Rome. We met a new friend there that's traveling from Canada and had so much fun. Dell O'mo is your traditional Italian food where Mamma cooks and everyone is treated like family. The lasagna is incredible, if I could stuff it in my purse I would! I can't wait to go back to see them and to enjoy the food again! One of my favorite restaurants in Italy!

Since the conclave was beginning (so exciting!!) the Sistine Chapel was going to be closed to get ready for it. I am so glad that we were able to go on Saturday before they closed it off. We spent the day at St Peters, the Vatican Museum, and in the Sistine Chapel. I walked around the Cathedral listening to Rick Steve's audio guide. It was super neat to hear the history of everything. My favorite scene is right about the alter, the angels are reaching out to the Holy Spirit/Jesus/God, very moving scene just puts a lot into perspective. That was one of the best ways to spend a Saturday:). I was kind of speechless after seeing the Sistine Chapel as well. The phenomenal artwork.. just amazing... I loved it! The scene of "Judgement Day" was so moving and really made me think more about it all. The time and effort that was put into it, just incredible. I'll never forget it. I just keep thinking how thankful I am that we made it in time to be able to experience it. It was so crazy to think that within the next week all the cardinals would be in there to elect a new Pope!
We met a couple that recommended that we go to Julio's and Maria's restaurant so we went to check it out. We stopped to meet them and they welcomed us in, we ended up staying just hanging out with the family. They were hilarious, they gave us wine, cheese and bread, desserts and had fun shouting.. 1, 2, 3.. Pecorino!  Such a fun time with the crazy family!

Fast Track Recap of the rest of the week:
The rest of the week we stayed in our friends apartment by the Coliseum.  I am so grateful to her that she allowed us to use her home. The view was incredible and location was great!

Emily arrived on Sunday, I was super excited to see her and to get to travel with her for a couple weeks!! Girls trip!! I waited for her by Termi Station and started to work out a deal for a suitcase with a guy standing next to me. He didn't have the color I wanted so I ended up having his boss go drive to get the one I wanted. Done deal :) I had a new suitcase, Emily arrived, and we were off to meet Catherine (she was running a marathon, so proud of her) to have some fun in Rome!

Emily, Catherine, and I spent the week in Rome exploring all the different sights, the churches, and basilicas. We took Emily to meet Antonio and Mamma at Dell O'mo a place we knew she had to experience. We celebrated her birthday since we missed it in January and headed back to our apartment. On our way back we stopped in a cafe' and met "Papa Italy". He was this cute little old man that when we told him we were celebrating Emily's birthday he bought us all gelato, so sweet! We had a lot of fun visiting with him and listening to his stories and to his Italian music from his car.

There is so much to see in Rome its unreal. We went to the Trevi Fountain, there is something so magical about it, we went back multiple times. We toured the Coliseum, Rick Steve's style, so neat to hear the history and to be able to see it. We went to the Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Diazza Della Repubblica, Piazza Nova, and various other sights. We had so much fun just taking it all in together. We met one of Catherine's friends at Dar Poeta, a popular Italian restraint, for dinner. He has been living in Rome so we were able to learn more about Rome, such a fun night!

Wednesday was our Scavi Tour. We all were SUPER EXCITED. We were guided around the tombs of the Vatican and were able to see St Peters Tomb. It was so neat to learn about the history of how they found St Peter and what is believed by the Church. That was such an highlight of the week to be able to experience it!

Emily and Catherine left to go back to Assisi on Thursday for a couple days while I stayed in Rome. I went to stay at Bernardi, which is the University of St. Thomas House. I stayed with Katie, Sara, and Catherine Huss and had such a great time with the girls. It was super neat to see where Amanda lived while she studied in Rome. It was even cooler when Catherine Huss said that i was staying in the room that Amanda stayed in when she was living there.. crazzzzyyy how that worked out! It so beautiful to see the community they have there. The other girls went out for dinner so Katie and I decided we were going to make pancakes.. fail. We got down to the kitchen, realized neither of us knew how and didn't have the ingredients.. so we made killer eggs and toast instead! After hanging out we had praise and worship in the chapel.. so nice to have 24/7 adoration. They took me upstairs to see the view of the city and had tea on the terrace. It was such an incredible view and so much fun to just hang out with all the sweet girls. Friday morning we all felt ambitions and we went for a group run to the Vatican. After packing up my backpack for the three week trip ahead I said goodbye to the girls and set out to explore Rome some more. I checked out the Piazza Del Popolo, such a different view of Rome. I was so exhausted so I found the hotel and went to get some food before bed. I ended up stopping in a church for mass, they had stations of the cross, benediction, and adoration as well.  I was accidentally was apart of the Stations of the Cross and realized it half way through so just went with it, was wondering why people were looking at me at first. The quiet prayer time was just what i needed though.. the Lord is so good.

Roma Round 2.. Success!! I have learned so much more and have had such an incredible experience.. this is a trip of a lifetime! I can't wait to return to Rome for Easter and see the new Pope!!  I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!

Romeo O Romeo.. Verona!

Verona - 2/25/2013 -2/28/2013

Verona.. wow.. just when I think nothing can beat an adventure or city.. God shows me more beauty in a different way! I can't get over how much everything I do is so different. I am learning so much about life, cultures, love, trust, and relationships. We decided to stay an extra day after arriving in Verona because we loved the city so much. We had a bed and breakfast floor to ourselves, the best one we have stayed at yet. The couple was young and so nice. They made us breakfast and were so helpful with everything.

Verona is known for it being the home of Romeo and Juliet. (spelled with a G in Italian). Verona is also known for eating horse, since they had a period of time where the town was starving so they would have to eat the horses. I couldn't be in Verona without trying horse so Catherine and I planned on going to a restaurant to have it.

After settling in I went for a run. I couldn't believe how beautiful the small but busy town was. It is difficult to run in cities that are so distracting, so much I wanted to stop and see! The river and buildings were so charming that I didn't want to leave there! The river is beautiful, seeing people just happy and living their everyday life, and all the cute old people who ride bikes around town, so fun!

After checking out all the beautiful churches, shops, and markets Catherine and I went to dinner. We had fun sitting in the square at a restaurant and just visiting with the different locals we met. We walked into a small restaurant on a side street and they invited us in for wine. After speaking with the owner about the history of Verona he explained how it takes 30 hours to prepare horse and then he made us a plate to try. So awesome!! It was definitely a go big or go home experience. The horse tasted like a sweeter meat, not too bad actually. I would not order it but if someone got it for me I would eat it again. I still can't believe I ate horse!! (Poor Jack, Butterscotch, and Starburst.. the horses we had when I was a kid) We got some roses from some of the locals we met and just enjoyed our time in the city. When we visited the balcony of Juliet there was a wall you could write on.. Mom and Dad I wrote your names in a heart! :)

I met a new friend Giulia that worked at one of the shops. Everyone is so nice in Verona. We had fun talking about some of our travels and when I left she gave me a bracelet that she said means Good Luck in her culture! So sweet of her! I hope to be able to see her again someday she is such a great person!

One of favorite places in Verona was Lourdes Church at the top of the hill. It was quite the hike to get to it but so worth it. I ended up meeting some nuns and checking out there convent before finding it which was so neat. The church has a big window behind the alter and you can see Mary in the Grotto in the back of it. I just loved it so much and it makes me even more excited to go to Lourdes, France!

Milano!!!

February 23-25th, 2013

We left for Milan around 3 pm on Saturday. What was suppose to be a 5 hour bus ride turned into over 9 hours since there was a snowstorm and traffic was slow. We arrived to Milan at 12:30 in the morning and began a search for our hotel, was definitely an experience trying to walk through the snow with our suitcase and get to our hotel. We made it though and I was ready to crash as soon as we checked in. Sunday morning I had breakfast, coffee, eggs, and toast... they had toast! I am so "deprived" of America breakfast food! Yum, so good! The staff at the Hotel were awesome, I walked by and they were like "Good Morning Melissa". (so cool)

Sunday we spent the day going through the city, shopping, and went to mass at the Duomo at night. The Duomo is different from others I've seen. It is one of my favorite Duomos, just love the outside. The culture of Milan reminded me of something you would see more in London or New York, very busy city. Milan is one of my favorite cities, the architecture just seems to be more unique, I love it!!
After mass we were walking the streets and it just was magical. People were playing beautiful music while we walked the roads, I couldn't get over how beautiful it was! It was cold and rainy so we went to find coffee. (All the churches in Italy are freezing because they don't heat them.) It was fashion week and we were determined to get into a Runway show. We kept asking questions of where the show was and how to get in. Everyone said its impossible to get in, but we kept trying. After getting some information from different people we walked up through the line of people waiting to get in, telling the people we had to get inside, and they let us in!! Crazy! The show was incredible, definitely something I will probably only get to experience once. I was freaking out inside but kept my cool. We got invited to an after party called an Open Ceremony for Adidas, which of course we went to and met some designers! It was such an incredible night that I wont forget. Milan was good to us. So greatful that we were able to have such a fantastic experience!

Amalfi Coast.. Salerno and Pompei!

February 15th-17th 2013

Salerno!!
We went to the Amalfi Coast! The bus ride was long but we made friends with the drivers which made it a more entertaining ride. The scenery on the 6 hour ride was incredible! Snowy mountains, green valleys, and when I saw the coast, Oh my gosh, beautiful!! After arriving we checked into our bed and breakfast, the owner was a sweet Italian women that didn't speak much English but kept patting my face and saying "bella". She was so sweet to us! In Salerno we just enjoyed the coast, met some fisherman that taught us how to untangle a net, had great pizza (best I've ever tasted...amazing..my taste buds were going crazy!), learned how to make the pizza, went shopping, and swam in the Amalfi Coast. We were looking at wines and I found a bottle just sitting there for 340 Euro.. that's crazy! I had to pick it up and take a picture! It was super nice to get away to a warmer place and see the coast! A vacation from my vacation :)

Pompei!!
Pompei is an incredible historic town historic. We went to mass in the beautiful Basilica and went out to dinner. We stayed in Hotel Diana which was a pretty nice hotel, the breakfast was so good, unlimited coffee!! Sunday we spent the day exploring the ruins of Pompei. So neat to be able to see the town! It was sad to see the refugees that were covered alive by the Volcano. Definitely a place to see if you are ever in Southern Italy! On our way back we had the same bus driver, it was so fun to see him waving to us when he saw us waiting for the bus. It definitely is nice to know you have someone looking out for you when you are traveling. We made it back to Macerata that night with the help of our friend! Thank goodness he was able to pick us up from the town before Macerata because we didn't have a way back after finding out the bus didn't go far enough. God provided!

Tortellini.. in Bologna!

February 8th-10th 2013 in Bologna

Friday:
One of the teachers I worked with was telling me how her daughter lives in Bologna and I should meet her if I go. I took her information and sent her a message on Facebook. (Thank God for technology these days, makes life so much easier) She ended up inviting us to stay with her and her friend for the entire weekend!! That was so incredibly nice of her, she asked us to stay without even meeting us! (not sure if she knew what she was getting into, the combination of Catherine and I could be deadly)
One of the things I have learned about Italy is how hospitable Italians are. They always make you feel welcomed and help you with anything. SO MANY PEOPLE have blessed us by their help, they don't even realize it! I am so greatful to everyone I have met! Also so very greatful for the blessings God sends through all of these people to show His love. Just gives me a completely different perspective in life. 
We arrived in Bologona a few hours before we were to meet the girls so we started to check out the town. The commotion of big city was so refreshing to be in, after being in smaller cities for so long. We checked out the market for a while, always so fun and interesting to see all the unique things you can buy. After the market we went to a cafe' to get some Wifi to see where to go to meet the girls. We met a wonderful family that tried to give us directions then decided they would have their son walk us there. It was so nice of him to take over an hour out of his day just to make sure we found the right area. He blessed us so much by his help and I so greatful for him. We walked and talked about different American shows and his high school life. He is such a joyful person, very honored to have met him. This is what I'm talking about when I say I have learned so much about hospitality, just crazy that he did that to help us.
After meeting the girls Catherine and I set off to find their apartment to settle in since they had a class to go to. The area the girls live in is so beautiful. They are in a nice apartment surrounded by a big park and a couple minute walking distance from the mall, perfect! After the girls got back to class they made us dinner and invited their friends over to hang out. We all had to much fun talking, learning different Italian words, and playing stationary (which was not to the American advantage but a lot of fun). 

Saturday:
Happy Birthday Dad! The girls are all so sweet and down for anything. I told them it was my dads birthday and asked if they'd make a video and they were like YES! We had fun learning the Italian words to Happy Birthday then sending it to my dad, hope you had a great day! 
After we got ready for the day and the girls took us on their vespas! (How fun!!) We were so excited!! I still get excited when I think about how we got to ride around on them all day and how they let me drive! I drove a vespa! Watch out Minnesota.. I may be starting a trend when I get back. I have already googled to see how much they are :) After we went to breakfast and got hyped up on caffeine for the day we set out to see the city. We checked out the market, the two towers, St Stefeno, some other churches, and of course went shopping! So much fun! We went back to the apartment for lunch with some more of their friends. Everyone is so awesome, I just love my Bologna friends! 
After lunch we went to St Luca. It is a church on top of a big hill. The ride up was incredible and its one of the most beautiful churches I've seen. Mass was going on so we weren't able to take pictures of the inside. On the way back from St Luca we stopped at one of the girls' house and had tea, so much fun! We went to grocery store to get totillini and food to make dinner for the group. Tortillini!!!! Catherine and I got a bunch of salad but apparently its more of an American thing to eat a lot of salad. Oh and you eat salad 2nd not 1st.. there is an order of how you order and eat here which I have learned over the past few weeks. 
Side note: The guy sitting next to me on the train right now is designing cars on his computer. Its pretty cool, I'm talking like nice cars. (Yes, I know I'm creeping on him)
Sunday:
We left the girls around noon and went to a cafe for breakfast and to use wifi. We spent the afternoon in Bologna and enjoyed some of the carnival. Carnival was going on in every town in Italy. Carnival is a big deal, its a town parade where everyone dresses up with masks and throws confetti throughout the street. It was so fun to see the laughter and joy in the families, just loved it! Confetti covered the streets, families walking up and down the town, fresh candy and foods all over.. just a great thing to experience. We took the train back to Macerata to make the evening mass at 9 pm before we headed back to Convitto. Bologna was such a great weekend, so thankful to God for all the beautiful people he placed in my life and the adventures I had there!