Wednesday, March 11th I was lucky enough to get to see the POPE at the Papal Audience at the Vatican! I went with my roommates Nicolette and Kristin. We left around 9 in the morning and got really good seats, not front row, but right by the aisle. Before the service started the Pope drove around in his little Pope-mobile and went RIGHT by us! We were probably 6 feet away from him! It was so weird because we didn’t have to go through any kind of security when we walked in! Kind of scary to think of the weirdos that could have gotten in there!! It was really awesome to see. He was such a happy little man. He was waving to everyone like he was a rock star! Haha! The service lasted about 2 hours and I think he spoke in 7 different languages throughout the whole thing! It was a really neat experience. We’re going back on Easter, I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to wake up a little earlier if we want to get great seats again! I’ll keep you updated! The rest of the day was nothing spectacular, but my friend Kerrie was scheduled to come in around 10pm that night and I was anxiously waiting to pick her up at the airport☺ After I picked her up we went back to my house and talked and caught up with each other until late!
Thursday morning we got up and I showed Kerrie where I went to school and we got coffee before we headed to the Vatican to meet my parent’s friends from American Family the Guerins and the Brynds! They were in Rome with American Family and we had planned to spend a few days together, which was perfect timing because at this point I was really missing home!
We walked around St. Peter’s Basilica and they very generously bought Kerrie and me tickets to go on a Vatican Museum tour! We had the cutest little tour guide, Maria. She did a great job telling us about all of the important artwork in the museum and told us what we needed to skip over! The museum is HUGE. If you look at every piece of artwork for 1 minute you would be there for 12 years!!! My absolute favorite was the Sistine Chapel! It was AWESOME! You aren’t allowed to take pictures and I was rebellious enough to try this time! The pictures wouldn’t be able to even capture its beauty though! I might have to go back and buy a book its creation because it is amazing all of the hidden things are spread throughout the painting and it was also really interesting to learn what Michelangelo went through during the 4 years he painted it!
After our two-hour tour we walked around a little bit and headed back in the direction where we would be having dinner. We ended up walking back to the Spanish Steps. One of the streets that the steps are off of has the most expensive stores you can imagine! It’s fun to look, but I doubt ill ever be able to afford anything inside of them! Haha! Mrs. Brynd has been there earlier in the week and wanted to show all of an 85,000-euro purse. While we were there the workers invited us back to the trunk show that they would be having later that night to show off the new collection. We decided that we would be back! We went back up to the Spanish steps and watched the sunset! It was so beautiful! You would think that I would have done that at least once in the 3 months I have lived here, but it was my first time and now it is my most favorite place to sit and relax!! After the sunset we still had some time to kill before dinner so we headed back to the trunk show!
Keep in mind; we had been up since 8:30 in our tennis shoes and jeans, pretty warn out from all of the walking we had been doing all day! Basically, we stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd of women filled with silicon and botox! Haha! It was absolutely hilarious to see all of them! We just took advantage of the free champagne and chocolate mouse that they had circulating and then headed to dinner! It was a really fun experience that Mrs. Brynd said we should all experience at least once ☺
We had a great dinner with the Brynds and Guerins and then Kerrie and when they went back to their hotel Kerrie and I ventured to my favorite Irish pub, Scholars. We had such a blast and didn’t end up getting back until the early hours of the morning!
Friday morning Kerrie and I met up with the Guerins and we walked around Trastevere (known to be the most traditional area of Rome) and did some shopping in the local markets. We had a lot of fun hanging out, again, but all of the walking from the day before combined with a late night out had really tired us out! So, we decided to stop for a rest at the same pub that we had been at Thursday night. Our one relaxing drink turned into two and we had a great time talking with the Guerins! They left to go back to their hotel and Kerrie and I somehow found ourselves at the next pub down the block! ☺ It was a tiring, but great day!
When we finally got home we made dinner for ourselves and decided that we were just going to call it an early night. We thought wrong. The Guerins texted us while we were laying in bed ready to pass out! We gave into the peer pressure, got ourselves ready, and headed back to Scholars! We med the Guerins and the Brynds and had an absolute BLAST! It was the most fun I have had out of all of my weekends spend in Rome! When we are all in Cancun this summer I am going to make sure that I hang out with them again! Haha! It was another very late night and the end of our adventures with them ☹
Saturday morning I got up very slowly and made my way to the train station to pick up my next batch of visitors from Ireland, Steph, Nick and Cha. We made our way back to my apartment to pick up Kerrie and then went to get pizza at my favorite little shop that I went to my very first night in Rome ☺ The rest of the day we walked around and I showed them the Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Piazza di Popolo and we watched the sun set at the Spanish steps again! We were so tired from walking and being up late the night before that we stopped for coffee and gelato! Steph and Nick each got hot chocolate instead and it was literally melted hot chocolate…something I know all of you O’Connor women would most definitely love!! On our way home we stopped at another pizza place in Trastevere called Ivo pizza- my program advisor says it’s the best around! ☺ We ended up going back to my place and drinking a little wine and calling it an early night!
Sunday morning we all got up and went to the two-mile long flea market behind my apartment. After we were done I gave them a map and they headed out to the Colosseum! Don’t get me wrong, it was FABULOUS having everyone, but playing tour guide for 72 hours straight was a little exhausting! It was so nice to have a little time to myself to rest and do my own thing! That night we stayed in again because I had class early Monday morning and Kerrie had to leave us ☹
After Kerrie left on Monday Steph, Nick and Chaz went to the Vatican and back to the Colosseum while I was in class. They had dinner and everything on their own, which meant that I did a great job at being a tour guide because they navigated it all on their own ☺
I loved every minute of having friendly faces around and I only wish that ALL of you could come to me!!!
Here are the links to pictures! :)
Pope
link one:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041285&id=59002872&l=2325b79094
weekend of visitors
link two: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041190&id=59002872&l=2d4b6a5a4e
link three: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041191&id=59002872&l=1ba4ac6408
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