The Amazing Adventure

Day 85: Farewell to Rome

2018-04-14T00:20:00.001-06:00

Today was my very last day exploring Rome and Europe. To say the least...it was a bit emotional for me.

We started off the day strong by sleeping in. I definitely appreciated it, seeing as we are getting up super early tomorrow to head off home. I woke up a bit earlier than everyone else and started packing. But of course, you don't want to hear about how I fit everything into my suitcase and had some room to spare. ;)

We went out around 1 to go and see the last couple of sights and get some food. We went to an outdoor market with fresh fruit, pesto, noodles, all sorts of good things. After that we walked over to the Spanish steps and then to the Trevi fountain. I made my wish, threw my coin, and hopefully I'll be getting back to Rome soon.

After that we came home but I had one other stop to make. Flying Tiger. I don't think I've talked about Tiger yet on here, so I might as well now. Tiger is amazing. It is a Danish company that basically sells everything random under the sun. They have gardening stuff, school supplies, hair and beauty supplies, party stuff, art stuff, snacks and candy, and all the other odds and ends. Everything they sell is super colorful, inexpensive, and fun! I've gone to Tiger quite a few times if only to get in the air conditioning and look at all of the cool stuff. I've gotten some art supplies there that are decent and this time I went to pick up some traveling necessities like a neck pillow and some snacks for the plane. I shall miss Tiger dearly. Almost as much as I shall miss Primark.

After that we came back home and I finished packing before our final dinner. This took place at a wonderful restaurant called the Old Bear. It was very rustic with bricks and dark woods. I loved it. The food was also excellent. We had an amazing salad, two different pasta plates, and dessert. I loved all of it. Afterwards Professor Swenson said his goodbyes to us and gave us back our textbooks. I am very happy with how mine turned out. I'm also very happy that Professor Swenson wants me to take more classes from him, which I am definitely up for.

After we all had said goodbye to the professor, we headed to the Metro to take a trip out to the Coliseum. I had never seen it at night, so we figured it would be a good finishing flourish on our trip. It was beautiful. We sat out in front of it, talked, took some pictures, and then headed back to the dorms. It's been a beautiful day to end.

Day 84: The Last Day of Class

2018-04-13T09:52:00.002-06:00

Today was a somber occasion. The last day we had class. We started fairly early in front of the Supreme Court building and then went and saw 8 churches and 1 temple. There was some beautiful art in all of them and we talked about the different art styles. We saw our last couple of Bernini's our last Michelangelo, and really our last church. It was kind of peaceful, kind of sad, but overall a happy moment to know that we were done.

St. Agnes' skull. Bleh.

Caravaggio's most famous painting!

This is the dome. It is painted. It isn't actually a dome.

This is the dome from the right angle.

By Michelangelo

This is faith stamping out heresy and ignorance. The books underneath ignorance are by Calvin and Luther.

After class we went and got some food and talked before coming home to work on packing. We had our final exam that was due as well, but I had finished that the day before. Around 6:30 we headed out to the Piazza Navona to meet up with our professor and everyone to have gelato. Once again there was some sadness, but also some happiness. I'm sure tomorrow will be harder seeing as it will actually be our last day in Rome and we're having a dinner all together.

After gelato we walked around a bit more before coming home. It was a really nice night and we had some good conversation before coming home, working a bit on packing, and sleeping.

Day 83: Bernini!

2018-04-12T07:14:00.001-06:00

Today we went to the Borghese museum! We had to get up a bit earlier to go, but it was a pretty quick trip.

The Borghese's were a very wealthy family who had quite a bit of influence in Rome. So much so that one of them became a pope! The house we went to belonged to his nephew, and this was the perfect example of nepotism. He could get away with murder and his uncle wouldn't do anything. Because of this, he basically got whatever he wanted, and whatever he wanted was brought back to this house. There were some amazing pieces. Also there were some I forgot to post yesterday.

Do you see that? There are impressions!

Bernini did this when he was 9.

Afterwards we walked around a bit, got some pasta, then came home to finish up everything related to our textbook and final. I wrote my final, cleaned up the room a bit, and then later we went and got gelato.

Day 82: The Birds!

2018-04-11T08:10:00.004-06:00

The sun has come out again! Oh how I love the sun! Today we got started a bit earlier in the day so we could get done earlier. Once again the thing on the docket was churches. Today we visited a bunch of High Renaissance churches, talked about what made them High Renaissance and how that differed from Baroque.

The funny story of the day was when we were walking between churches. Instead of rain coming from the heavens, the seagulls came out of nowhere! They flew around and around us, and then droplets of white and green came flowing out of the sky! I must say that I am grateful none hit me, and that I couldn't help but laugh at the amount of screaming, gnashing of teeth, and crying was happening. Pretty sure the locals thought someone was dying. I'm sure I might have been singing a different tune if I had been hit, but I found it rather humorous.

Following our adventures at the churches, we came back to the dorms and had a review session with the professor. It was really useful to figure out what he wanted and what he didn't. Following that we locked ourselves up in our room and went furiously to work. I'm proud to say that with the exception of 2 pages (and the ones we haven't seen yet and can't write on) I am done with the 170 page textbook that we've been working on for the last 3 weeks. It is quite the relief. Tomorrow I'll finish the 2 pages that I haven't done (and any of the ones we see tomorrow that I'll be able to write on.) and work on the Final Exam. With any luck I'll be done with all the coursework for this semester come Thursday. :)

This is the only straight street in Rome. Also where the Anti Mafia lives.

Through this grate is where St. Peter was possibly crucified.

Day 81: Singing in the Rain

2018-04-10T15:49:00.006-06:00

Boy was it rainy today! We postponed our class until the afternoon in the hopes that the rain would clear up, but alas, it did not. But never fear! I had an umbrella and a prayer, and honestly it wasn't that bad.

We visited lots of different baroque churches and saw a lot of sculptures, paintings, and fountains. Some highlights were seeing some paintings by Caravaggio, who is fast becoming one of my favorites, walking past Trevi fountain, and seeing St. Theresa in Ecstasy by Bernini. Despite the rain we sang and danced and got gelato! All in all a good day. At the end we all watched Roman Holiday, which is a wonderful, albeit bittersweet flick. I'd recommend it.

A really fat Moses Fountain

Her skeleton is actually in here

You can faintly see Romulus and Remus in the background under the wolf

It looks like a monkey!

Day 80: The Last Sunday in Europe

2018-04-09T02:57:00.002-06:00

Today was a day of closures. It was our last Sunday in Rome and our last Sunday in Europe as a whole. We took the metro to church, had fast and testimony meeting, went to Sunday school, and had relief society in Italian for the last time. Relief society was especially good as we talked about ministering and what it could do. I said goodbye to the relief society president and the friends I made in institute the other week. Then we headed back home. It was a very sunny day, very beautiful, and very hot. We got back to the dorms, ate some food, and then I took a nap. I was able to FaceTime a bunch of family and friends, and that really took up the rest of my afternoon and evening. But over the course of the day I realized some things that I've learned over the course of this study abroad.

I'm not going on a mission. I've prayed about this for years and have almost always gotten the answer of not yet. It isn't time. Don't ask yet. But on this study abroad I got the distinct impression that I am not going on a mission at this time in my life. It might be later with my husband but as it stands I'm not going on a mission and I need to focus my efforts elsewhere. This of course is kind of disappointing for me. I had kind of built up a hope of going, but I feel like it really isn't the right thing for me. There are also insecurities that pop up because of this, but as long as I'm following the Lord and his plan for me, I'm certain that those will clear up with time.
People are amazing. Every country I've come to I've found someone or multiple someones who I just love. I may not know their names, or their backgrounds, but they are amazing human beings. People just trying their best to make it through life.
I've found a higher confidence in myself. It's happened slowly and in several different ways, but I feel like I am more comfortable in my own skin. I know myself better.
Family is key. While I've been over here I've just become closer to my family. I've realized how much I really need them, and how important they really are. I'm so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the knowledge that I get to be with them forever.
I'm a much more likable person than I thought I was. I mean, I've been able to make friends a lot easier than I was expecting. Also I like the person that other people see me as. If that makes sense.
Getting lost isn't necessarily a problem. Sometimes you can find better things in getting lost! After all the journey is more than just a destination.
Sleep is important. Very important.

I've learned a lot more than just that, but I'll probably save the final thoughts on this for next Sunday with my final blog post and thoughts.

Day 79: Goodbye Florence

2018-04-09T02:57:00.001-06:00

After another lovely continental breakfast in the monastery in Florence, we headed out on our final adventure in Florence. The first thing we did was go to a museum called the Orsanmichel (might have spelled that wrong.) This museum is only open for 2 hours every week. There were a bunch of statues around the outside of it that were copies of the originals that were inside. After seeing them we went upstairs to see a beautiful view of Florence.

From there we walked to a piazza where a bunch of statues stood. Some of them were even the originals! For instance, The Abduction of the Sabine Woman which we saw the day before in the museum was just a copy of the one standing in this piazza! We also saw a statue by Cellini. I never knew he was a mannerist sculptor! All I ever knew was that there is supposedly a Cellini Venus. Of course that was just in a movie. Afterwards we headed to another museum to check out some other statues by Donatello, Michelangelo, and others.

And then we were set free! We went and visited a few churches, walked around some beautiful cloisters, got some pizza and gelato, then headed to the Palazzo Pitty to look at some more artwork and walk around the gardens.

It turned out that there was so much stuff inside of this Palazzo that you probably wouldn't be able to see it all in a week. We walked through some amazing rooms that were covered entirely by murals, depicting stories, or mimicking architecture. Why build it when you can paint it? It was amazing. We also saw some more sculptures in ivory and gold, and then spent about 5 minutes in the garden before we had to head back to catch the bus.

The bus ride was mostly uneventful except for the fact that I figured out the ending for my book! Now I haven't written it, but I have the entire rest of the plot blocked out in my head. I'm very excited to get home and finish it. I also figured out what I want the cover to look like, so once I get home I'll be able to work on that too.

We got home, I took a shower, and went straight to bed. Florence was gorgeous, and there was only one week to look forward to.

An angel lighting a cat on fire?

Day 78: Michelangelo and an Artist's Passion

2018-04-08T10:18:00.001-06:00

Today was just jam-packed full of things! We woke up and were treated to an excellent breakfast before we headed out on our adventures. We started in a church dedicated to St. Francis. We saw some beautiful frescos before we headed out again to go to a museum. Inside that museum we saw several famous statues, including Michelangelo’s David. Words cannot describe standing in front of this thing. I’ve seen plenty of pictures, but the amount of awe and emotions that it inspires is intense. I also found it interesting to walk around all of the statues in question and see them how they look from different angles. You can’t get that from a picture online!

Apparently the skull at the base of the cross is Adam's skull and the snake is the devil. Christ's blood dripping down overcomes Adam's transgression and the devil.

Afterwards we headed over to a monastery where a monk called Fra’Angelico painted these amazing frescos. It was beautiful. I also walked through the first library in the history of Europe.

Afterwards we were set free, and that meant we could explore wherever we wanted really. We ended up going to San Lorenzo and exploring that a bit. It had some amazing paintings, some tombs designed by Donatello, and then in the museum there were creepy reliquaries with bones and some beautiful, albeit a bit creepy Michelangelos.

From there we headed in search of food. I had basically a sausage in a pretzel bun and then a cannoli. We tried some natural sparkling water from a fountain, and then went inside of one of the Palaces of the Medici. There were some more beautiful paintings in there, and some very beautiful furniture.

Then we had to meet up again for class. We went inside another museum and hiked around looking at all of the paintings, statues, architecture, etc. inside. It was a bit overwhelming, but I took some pictures. I feel like my mind is being crammed full of Art history so fast that things are blurring inside of my head. Normally during a class you have a full 14 weeks to learn all of this. I have 3! Hopefully I can keep it all straight and what I’m learning will come out normally later. We also were in this museum for a very long time. About halfway my professor said that we could take a break in one of the rooms with seats, but then we wouldn’t get back up again. Literally around the next corner we went down a staircase, my legs gave out, and I fell down the stairs. Luckily nothing was hurt, or broken, except my pride, and then we just kept on trekking through the museum.

After that excursion, we went and got pizza, gelato, and I personally came right home to bed. I am aching, but I am happy. Tomorrow is the last day in Florence and I am excited to see what it brings.

Day 77: Florence Tarantella

2018-04-07T15:22:00.003-06:00

Today we got up early, got on a bus, and headed to Tuscany! Goodness the surroundings were gorgeous! I just wish the bus wasn’t so sleep inducing, otherwise I would have watched out the window the entire time! I thought England was green, then I thought France was green. No. Italy is green.

We stopped in a small city called Orviatto. We got to ride a funicular up to the top of the cliff where the city was! It has this gorgeous church called The Duomo. It had mosaics all over the outside of it. There were also these beautiful carvings. The carvings told the story of the Old Testament, New Testament, and Last Judgement. Something interesting that I learned is that often times the Christ child will be depicted being placed into a Sarcophagus. This symbolizes that he was born to die, and shows that there is a beginning and an end. (Alpha and Omega) I found this fascinating. Inside there were some gorgeous paintings by a Renaissance artist. We know for certain that he influenced Michelangelo, and you can definitely tell they had similar styles in musculature. This particular artist (I can’t remember his name) also depicted his ex girlfriend in the paintings as one of the sinners being taken away by the devil at the last judgement. Once again we learn that you should never anger an artist.

We also got to see the napkin that has the blood of Christ on it. It is a relic from the story of the monk who was questioning whether or not the sacrament really turned into the flesh and blood of Christ. He broke open a wafer and it bled, thus proving it true. Afterwards we went to find the greatest vantage point in Orviatto.

On the way there we found a kitty! He was so friendly! He came running right up to us meowing and rubbing against our legs! He was so cute and let us pet him and followed us around for a bit. It was the cutest most adorable thing ever. And the view wasn’t half bad either.

After looking over the overlook, we went to find some food, which I did in the form of a mozzarella, salami, and artichoke sandwich. Delish!

We took the funicular back down the mountain, we got on our coach and drove until we got to Florence. I took this time to listen to music, nap a bit more, and draw a bit.

Florence was a bit rainy at first but it quickly cleared up. We got settled in our rooms and then went out on the town!

First we saw Florence’s Duomo. It has this beautiful pink and gray and green marble all around the outside of it. There is a baptistry next to it. They separate it so that as you progress you get closer and closer to God. They also made it so it has 8 sides to it. This is to signify the 6 days of creation, the 7th day of rest and the 8th day when you start over. It signifies rebirth which is part of what Baptism is about.

After visiting the Baptistry we headed to the museum about the dome. Inside we saw the Gates of Paradise which are covered in gilded scenes from the Old testament. There’s even an Ark of the Covenant! We got a bit of a talking to from an older gentleman that was there looking at the doors, but we were able to get out of the situation pretty quickly. We then saw sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo.

Afterwards our professor set us free. We explored a bit, found the leather district, and….yes. I bought a bag. I justified it by it being real Italian leather, and as something to carry my art supplies in. I’m kind of excited about it. And I got it for a good price.

Afterwards we went and tried the fabled sparkling water of Florence and goodness is it good! I usually don’t like sparkling water but this was delicious. We went and got pizza at this amazing place, laughed, took pictures, and just enjoyed each other’s company. After that our professor got us all gelato, and then we headed back to the monastery to get some well deserved rest. Tomorrow is another full day!

Day 76: Papa Francesco!

2018-04-07T15:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I got up, got ready, and then we all headed off towards the Vatican. This time we weren't going on an incredibly long tour of the museum. This time we were meeting the Pope. It was a bit drizzly, and it took a bit of time to get there, but after 2 security lines and some confusion, we found ourselves in the middle of the Vatican courtyard. After a bit more drizzling and waiting, the fanfare played and the Popemobile came rushing down the makeshift road they had made. He came quickly and he went just as fast, but I can say I've been within 10 feet of the Pope. He also kissed babies, and it was super cute and adorable.

The rest of the day involved catching up on homework, walking around town, getting ready for our trip to Florence, sleeping, and relaxing the muscles that we had pulled the day before. Sorry for the short posts, but this is all I've got for this day.

Day 75: Vatican City

2018-04-04T08:31:00.000-06:00

This was our true trip to the Vatican. Before we had just passed through. This time we actually went in.

Of course before all of that we decided to go and get brunch! I had a delicious mozzarella and spinach pizza. Then we walked around the city a bit before heading to the Vatican.

We started in the Vatican Museum. It was very very crowded. I guess people haven't left after Holy Week. However, I was able to see some of the statues and paintings that I have learned about in previous art history classes, and even in a literature class. I was very excited. If not overly excited. We saw the Sistine Chapel which was beautiful and especially amazing when you compare it to Michelangelo's sculptures. He is such a good sculptor, and deserves to be remembered by that, but he seriously could paint too. He also was very fast. He did a 60 foot section of it in 1 day. And my art teacher said I was Speedy Gonzales when it came to painting! Afterwards we went to St. Peter's. It is by far the prettiest church I have ever been in.

Pizza!

This is a Painting by Raphael

Unfinished DaVinci

Caravaggio!

The Garden of Eden

Laacoon. This statue has so much emotion and detail in it!

School of Athens

Sneaky Sistine Chapel!

Seeing this statue in person brought tears to my eyes.

Afterwards we were all completely and utterly exhausted. We had been standing for about 6 hours and unable to truly walk because of all of the crowds. So we headed home, stopped for pizza on the way, and then spent the evening trying to recover. I ended up drawing some pictures of my group and the moon goddess Selene. I think I'm starting to discover my art style a bit more. Then we slept. :)

Selene

Jensyn really hates Apollo. He always gives her sunburns.

All of us together :)

Us for reference.

Day 74: Dragon Scale or Skull cap? You decide!

2018-04-02T14:21:00.002-06:00

Today we visited a lot of churches. It was a long stretch of walking, discussing, examining, and more walking. It's interesting to compare English, French, and Roman architecture to one another. Everyone has things just a little bit different, even though for the longest time they all had the same religion.

We saw a whole bunch of relics as well. One of which being the skull cap of St. George the dragon slayer. We were all hoping for an actual dragon relic, but alas, there was none to be found.

We saw so many churches, and they were all really pretty. The pictures don't do it justice. We also got to look through a keyhole at St. Peter's Basilica. There was a better view just around the corner, but it was pretty cool.

After we finished with class for the day, we went and got pasta, took naps, did homework, got gelato, did more homework, and now I'm working on catching up on blogs. Today has been another memorable day. :)

The Temple of Portunus!

Temple to Hercules

You can see St. Peter's through the keyhole

Day 72 and 73: Conference Weekend!

2018-04-02T14:02:00.001-06:00

These two days were very relaxing. Saturday we ran errands, did homework, and prepared to listen to the words of our latter day prophets. Since we are 8 hours ahead, we listened to the morning session at 6 PM and the afternoon session ended at Midnight. It was definitely worth staying up for.

During the Solemn Assembly I cried. I realized just how much the priesthood, our leadership, and our community of faith meant to me. It felt like all of our spirits were connecting across the globe, no matter where we were, and it was just more real because I was on the other side of the globe. Each talk I listened to taught me something, and some touched me especially. I'm very excited to read the talks again in the Ensign.

Usually during conference I do puzzles or something to keep my hands busy while I listened. I usually can pay attention more if my hands are busy doing some repetitive task. Since I didn't have a puzzle, I drew. And I think I've found the perfect way to multitask while drawing too. Listening to conference talks is the perfect way to keep focused.

This weekend I have been a bit homesick. I've never been away from home during conference or Easter. Both of these times are family holidays for me and it felt weird to be so far away from home. In order to remedy this, on Sunday I Facetimed my brothers, and I got to FaceTime my mom after the Sunday afternoon session.

I know that this church is true, and I am so grateful to live in the fullness of times. I'm so grateful for personal revelation and for modern day prophets. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be living here in Rome during Holy Week, to learn about different cultures and religions, and to continue to receive confirmation that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the fullness of the gospel. This has been a fantastic weekend and I can't wait until the next time I get to hear the prophet and apostles speak.

Day 71: Keats and Kitties

2018-03-30T16:17:00.002-06:00

Today I got to sleep in! It was a truly wonderful experience. I was able to rest, got breakfast, and then we headed out on our adventures for the day!

We had a free day and so we decided to rest up for the coming week, hit some places that we wouldn't go to as a group, and get some shopping done. And that is exactly what we did! First off we decided to head to the Non Catholic Cemetery of Rome. This is where Keats and Shelley are buried. We went partially for that, partially for the statues, and partially for the cats that guard the graveyard. They were all so cute and a couple of them were friendly enough to say hello!

A Roman Pyramid!

Keats and his friend are buried here

Oliver! Or Tigger! Or Tiger! Or Helios!

Kitty!

Really, a kitten!!!

These cats were not amused

The back of another cat

Saying goodbye to Oliver before leaving

And finding out he had a friend!

Some little kids playing with a kitten who was very happy

Afterwords we found our way back to our home base before going shopping, getting food, and coming back to work on homework. We got all caught up on that, went out and walked around a bit more, got some dinner, and then have been back home. It's been a really chill day and I'm well rested and ready for what comes tomorrow.

Day 70: When in Rome....

2018-03-29T14:41:00.002-06:00

We walk where the Romans did! That's right. Today was Catacombs and Appian way day!

First off, I have found a new love in breakfast foods. Yogurt. Granola. Match made in heaven and recreated in a small plastic cup. Goodness it is good! I think the only thing that would make it better is fresh fruit. Mmm.

After breakfast we headed out to meet James (the Professor) at the bus stop. We took a bus ride that was very bumpy and crowded all the way out to the edge of Rome. And then we got off. First off was the Catacombs.

I have been nervouscited for this for a while now. Nervous because I have had previous issues with being underground and surrounded by dead people. Excited because Indiana Jones. And also old architecture, sculpture, paintings, and Harrison Ford. I wanted to be an archaeologist at some point in my childhood and obviously what archaeologists do is go into Catacombs to find ancient relics to do rubbings on in order to find other ancient relics to stop the nazis.

Anyway. I found out that there were going to be skeletons down there. Out in the open. I was much more scared than I had anticipated. The walls were closer. The crypts were open. There were no dead bodies in the crypts. Just empty, dark holes from top to bottom. Long dark hallways full of mummy dust. A statue that looked like it could come to life. More enclosed spaces. Cold chilling drafts. Rat or bat noises coming from the walls. And every moment anticipating that we will come around the corner and face to face with a skeleton.

It never happened. We just so happened to be on the tour without skeletons. I think if I had known this I might have been able to handle myself better. Mostly I just kept my arms in, didn't touch anything, tried not to think about what was down the corridors, listened to the tour guide, and freaked out internally about skeletons telling myself not to scream. And yet I might be going to the bone church later this week. Oh well.

I survived the Catacombs! And got rewarded with snacks and a walk down the Appian way! This is the road that led to Rome. Peter and Paul walked it. It was beautiful. The weather was perfect, we made flower crowns, did our hair, ate snacks, took pictures, and walked back to the bus. The bus was a bit crowded, but we ended up back at Pizza forum where I got a Caprese pizza. And of course....gelato. Really I need to start limiting my intake. But this one was all natural! And the strawberry was the best strawberry icecream I have ever had in my entire life! They fill the cone with chocolate, you put in your flavors, and then they put whipped cream on top. So you have your ice cream, the bottom portion is melted, and then you get warm chocolate at the bottom. SO good.

You can't see it super well but this is Shepherd's purse. I ate some and felt like I was 5 again.

My growing boquet

We came home and I crashed. We have walked so much these last few days! Rome has been so good. It feels like we have been here for months, and it astounds me that we have been here for less than a week. Tomorrow I get to sleep in, and I look forward to it.

Day 69: Churches and Institute

2018-03-29T14:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we went to a whole bunch of different churches and looked at Early Christian and Byzantine styles. A couple of things taken away from that:

Firstly, a lot of their views of Christ came from misunderstanding his divine nature. My professor said that often we identify and prefer the images of Christ that we most need. For instance the Early Christians wanted a protector and found one in the good shepherd version of him. The later Christians saw him as an emperor. My personal favorite image of Christ is any image of him with the children.
Byzantines were really good with mosaics. We walked into an area and it didn't look too impressive and then the lights turned on. Boy how much of a difference that made. It was glittering.
Rome really is built in layers. We went to a church that was built on a church, built on a church, built on a Roman house. We saw all the layers of it too.
Relics are really important in Catholicism, as well as Saints.

This took up most of our day and then we spent the majority of the rest of the day trying to get home. We found this really really fun restaurant called Pizza Forum and got pizza and pasta there. I had a really good pesto pasta.

Bernini did this when he was 12. 12!

After that we walked around the Coliseum and took pictures. We got a little lost coming back home and stopped inside a church and then the Pantheon again and then went and got gelato.

A toy store I found!

The light streaming through1

We finally found our way home and then I had a bit of a break before heading out again. You see last night was institute and we were making food to bring to the refugees. It was fun to get to know some of the Italian young single adults in the area, make food, and serve. We also were able to play Bang! I had forgotten that it was an Italian game. If you are wondering, it is a Spaghetti Western card game and you should totally find a way to play it. It is super fun. The missionaries showed up and joined in. I didn't know it then, but it turns out that we were playing with Josh Osmond, Donny Osmond's son. And I kind of shot him in the game. Several times. Overall, it was super fun, and the language barrier wasn't really a problem.

Going to the refugee camp was eye opening. They are living in really terrible conditions, but they are all so happy to be there. Anything is better than the places they have come from, and they all manage to keep smiles on their faces. It was really interesting to talk to them, find out where they are from, and what their dreams were. Many of them had been told that they couldn't make it in America and that we wouldn't accept them and that made me feel really sad. After all we are supposed to be a melting pot. All of us are immigrants in a way. They are all also really smart and some know 2, 3, even 4 different languages. Yes, I was hit on by one and that made me feel uncomfortable, but overall the experience changed my worldview and I'm starting to think about things in a different way.

Picture with one of the Refugees. he has his phone out because he is trying to get my number

Last picture is one of my favorite depictions of Christ. I love it, and know that this is how my Savior is. Loving, kind, and gentle with everyone.

Day 68: Pines of Rome

2018-03-28T00:13:00.003-06:00

Oh how I love these pines! I still don't know what they have to do with whales, but they are beautiful and they are everywhere. They are called Roman pines or Umbrella pines and I saw a lot of them today.

First off we got the first glimpse of the Coliseum. We got off the metro, walked up the steps, and there it was. I felt like it was a lot more real at first glance than the Eiffel tower was. The Eiffel tower looked like a matte painting. This felt entirely different. It was still giant, but there was shadow and texture to it.

Before we went into the Coliseum we went to a church that holds the chains of Peter. Of course we don't know if these are actually the chains that Peter wore, but does it really matter? For pilgrims it is the belief that it is real that is more important than whether or not the relic is real. Belief and faith go a long way. Especially when paired with hope.

We mostly went inside to see Michelangelo's Moses though. Man. He is the Arnold Friberg of Renaissance sculptors. Moses is ripped! Also there is a funny, relatable, slightly sad story related to him. Michelangelo had no friends. He lived for his work. He was a bit egotistical and self centered. One day he was so mad that he threw his chisel at his latest statue and demand it speak. That statue was Moses. You can still see the chisel mark in his knee. Kind of sad but I relate on a fundamental level both as an artist and a writer. Sometimes you just want your paintings to be real. Sometimes you just want your characters to come to life. Sometimes....they do. I think that Michelangelo did a wonderful job with his Moses. Even if the musculature is a bit much.

Romans seem to be obsessed with Skeletons

After that we actually went and walked around the coliseum. It's been used for a lot over the years from gladiator fights to executions, naval battles to hunting raids. It was fascinating to walk through it. Currently they are getting it all set up for holy week as the procession for Easter starts there.

Following the Flavian Amphitheater (as it is also called) we went to look at some arches and get some lunch. We had a bit of a mishap with lunch. When you say you have 5 minutes to eat, they tell you it will be quick, and then 40 minutes later you come running out, you know to never sit down to eat unless you have 2 hours to spare. The pizza was good though.

We did (thankfully) make it back in time for the remainder of class. We went and explored the Roman forum and learned more about that. Romans were actually pretty modern for their time all things considered. The ruins were phenomenal. I was grinning most of the day. We got to see where the famous "Lend me your ears," speech was probably given and see where the chariot races in Ben Hur would have taken place if that were real.

This is an Acanthus plant. These are the leaves used on Corinthian Columns!

The Three Sisters

Following this we walked around, finally found a grocery store, got groceries, found a fun store called Flying Tiger, explored some more, came home, did laundry, did homework, and worked on this blog post.

Now before I end this, allow me to dictate the adventure of doing laundry. You read that right. Laundry. In every other place that I've stayed the laundry has been pretty straight forward. In London you just brought your stuff to the basement, put it in, pressed start, and leave it for however long it would take before switching it. In Paris you would go downstairs in the elevator, put it in, put in money, press start, and leave it for however long it would take before switching it. Here you need detergent too, which wouldn't be a problem if I could remember it.

Firstly it needed coins for the money. So I found an ATM, got out some money and had bills that I would need to break down in order to get change. So I went and got gelato. Still not enough change. So I went and bought something for 1 Euro with a 5 Euro note so I was sure to get 4 Euros back. I came back and got up the stairs and got my laundry together and went to the laundry room on my floor. Completely full. So I went downstairs to the one on the Third floor. Unfortunately that meant walking all the way around the complex because there is only one set of stairs. I get down there and realize I forgot to grab the detergent we had bought. Needless to say, I got my laundry done, and I'm sure the security guard had a good laugh watching me run up and down the hallways with a bag full of laundry.

Anyway, hope you all have a great week!

Day 67: Peering into the Eye of the Gods

2018-03-26T15:05:00.001-06:00

Today was a day with lots of walking. Our professor said that these first two days are going to be the longest and hardest on our legs. We started out at La Ponta Angelo. It's a bridge in front of the Castel Angelo that is a Roman Bridge with Baroque statuary on top. Each angel represents a different aspect of the crucifixion. It was interesting to see. Especially since I learned something new about a painting I saw in the Louvre! It was one with a woman holding a cloth with a man's face imprinted on it. I found out that that was Veronica with her veil. Legend says that Saint Veronica wiped Christ's face as he was carrying the cross and his visage was left on her veil. It's in St. Peter's so I'll be seeing it sooner or later.

After crossing the bridge we walked on to the Capitolina Museum. This is a museum with a bunch of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman statuary as well as some Baroque paintings. It also has one of the greatest views of the Roman Forum! The weather was super nice, the experience was amazing, I saw some sculptures I've been learning about for years, and I am infinitely happy!

Exterior statue of Marcus Aurelius

Portrait of Constantine

Boy removing a thorn

Capitoline Wolf. Possibly not Etruscan. Babies added later.

Bust of Michelangelo!

Medusa's head by Bernini

Interior sculpture of Marcus Aurelius

This makes me think of Life of Pi.

This is Marcus Aurelius's son pretending to be as cool as Hercules.

Head of an Amazon

Gorgeous marble

The Forum Horizontal

The Forum Vertical

The Forum Panorama

Athena!

Mosaic from afar

Mosaic from a close!

Mosaic from .a really close

Baby Hercules playing with snakes!

Excuse the nudity. This is the Aphrodite of Knidos

Beehive hair!

Cool use of marble

The Dying Gaul! This is a piece that I studied in my art history class a few semesters ago. It has so much emotion and is so well done! I captured it from so many different angles.

Literal blood carved into his side.

After the museum we broke for a bit of a break before heading off to the Pantheon! We had seen the outside of it at night but today we got to go in! We talked about architectural methods and what made the Romans so modern in their methods. They used brick and cement as well as arches. The dome of the Pantheon weighs 10,000 pounds and is a perfect circle! The oculus is the size of a three story building! It was massive, it was amazing, it is indescribable and totally unable to be captured by photography. I felt so small, and yet so connected with heaven. I loved it!

Exterior

Oculus letting light in

When the camera focuses on the oculus it makes a perfect sphere into the outside world. Like another planet.

The interior dome

The dome in Panorama

Another wall

The drain that the water goes into when it rains or snows

These clouds made it look like the moon!

A Roman door I knocked on

Underneath the pediment

After those adventures we went and found food. Once again it was delicious. After that we were sooooo exhausted from walking all over the place and I was really sore, so we headed back. I took a nap, did some research, painted, wrote up all of the assignments for the art pieces we saw today, and I'm about to get back to painting. I love this city! My motivation is back!

Day 66: Parakeets and Puppies

2018-03-25T15:49:00.004-06:00

Today was my first full day in Rome and I have to say that I am not disappointed. My first impressions were definitely correct, and I have a feeling that I am just going to keep falling in love with this place.

First off we went to Church. It was a short metro ride and a bit of a walk but we made it. I really enjoyed it. Sacrament meeting was translated for us, we had English YSA Sunday School and then had Relief Society translated again. What was really interesting was the woman giving the relief society lesson was actually American (I think) and was still learning Italian. She did a really good job from what I can tell.

Afterwards we walked around for a little while and saw lots of cute puppies before coming back to the dorms for a well needed nap. After all, it was daylight savings time here last night. After the nap I was able to Facetime my mom and had a wonderful conversation. I always look forward to my FaceTime time on Sundays. Not only that, today I saw parakeets in the trees out the window! Parakeets! Not seagulls or pigeons. (Well they are around too)

Following that we went on a mini walking tour of the city with our Professor. We went into Vatican City and saw the aftermath of Palm Sunday. So many olive branches everywhere. Everyone was carrying them around. I had always thought that on Palm Sunday you would carry around palm leaves, but I was wrong. From what I can tell, and I haven't done research, I think they carry around olive branches as a symbol of the Atonement and Gethsemane. They remember the triumphant entry into Jerusalem but they also don't want to forget what happened after that. I don't know though. Maybe it is more a symbol of peace?

We saw St. Peter's and then walked up the hill for the best view of the city. It was breathtaking to watch the colors change as the sun went down. The weather was so nice I hardly needed a jacket. Then we walked back around, saw more of the city and came back to the dorms.

BUT! Not before my professor misjudged one of us students. I shall adhere to my policy of not naming people without their permission so I shall call him Michael. Michael has a habit of doing things that other people dare him to do. And when he does them, hilarity ensues. Back in London one of the professors dared him to eat a worm and he did so for 5 Pounds. Here our Art History Professor mentioned that he had always wanted to see someone jump in the fountain. He was joking of course but Michael had been wanting to jump into a pool of water since Versailles. Needless to say, it was hilarious. I've never seen a professor look so surprised and entertained at the same time. The locals thought it was quite the spectacle as well. I was laughing so hard. The video is priceless but I shan't post it here for privacy reasons.

Today has been good. I'm exhausted, but all is well. Tomorrow we start class. And I couldn't be happier.

Church

Beautiful Street

St. Peter's

The Pantheon and Colosseum are in this picture.

The Fountain that Michael Jumped in.

Day 65: Recipe for a good day

2018-03-24T17:19:00.003-06:00

This is a recipe that I wish I could replicate more often! It's very simple to follow, but sometimes it doesn't always turn out the way you expect. Some of these things are mandatory, but overall you can add whatever you want in order to customize it to fit your tastes.

First you'll need a large pot. The biggest one you have. Put it on the stove and add the following:

1 Good nights sleep
2-3 Good songs to wake up to (And possibly dance to while getting ready)
1 Nutritious breakfast
1 Good attitude
A handful of friends
1 Adventure
1 Beautiful City
7588 steps
5 Euros worth of homemade pasta
3 Handfuls of water from a decorative fountain
3 Scoops of Gelato
5 cups of laughter

Simmer until overflowing with joy. Serve throughout the day. Store in memory until faded. Write down specific recipe in journal to recreate it again.

Honestly today was one of the best days I've had on this study abroad. We checked out of the student hotel, I had yogurt and croissants for breakfast, we hopped on a train to the airport, got a bit lost, and then checked our bags. From there we went down to Arrivals. Yes. Arrivals. THERE WAS AN OVERLAP!

We were able to see our friends that have been in Rome for these last 3 weeks. I have got to say I have missed them immensely. I had no idea how much I had missed them or hugs until both were in front of me. We were able to talk and catch up and boy do I love them. I was sad to leave them, but we had to get on a plane.

In order to get on the plane we had to go through the airport. Now this normally isn't a problem. It is when the boarding pass is wrong. I think this might just be a Paris airport thing because this happened to my mom, dad, and brother too when they were in the Paris airport coming back from Prague. My boarding pass said F41. So we headed over there. When we got there there was no one in the gate. Not even an attendant. So we checked my friend's boarding pass. It said F28. Which was on the exact opposite side of the airport. SO we trekked all the way back to through the airport, found that gate and sat down. We waited. And waited. Then we realized the boarding time had come but no one was calling for boarding. That was when we realized that that gate was wrong too. Luckily the one we needed was F29. We got on the flight, and we were good. We made it through the flight and we came out in Rome.

Rome is so green. I know I said that England and France were green. They were purple. I'm sure of it. Rome and Italy are green. It was warm. It was green. It was beautiful.

We came to St. John's University where we are staying and had orientation. The lady doing orientation was hilarious. Afterwards we went on a walk through the city. SO PRETTY! Oh I am so happy. This city is so beautiful. I feel safe. There is access to food everywhere. YOU CAN DRINK FROM ANY OF THE FOUNTAINS! Seriously. All of them are potable and the ones I drank from today were delicious. I didn't know how much I needed water until I went to Paris. We have it good in the US. So happy to have drinking fountains again.

After we saw the Pantheon (Yes. The Pantheon.) we went and got the best pasta I have ever had. Homemade pasta in carbonara sauce. For 5 Euros! Then the best gelato ever. I had three flavors. Pistachio, Stracciatella, and one that is basically cake batter with honeycomb. They dipped it in white chocolate. ALL OF THAT ICE CREAM FOR 3 Euros!!! A guy in France told us that we were all going to get fat on the nutritious ham and cheese crepes we were eating when he walked by. Nope. I'm going to have to monitor my ice cream intake otherwise I'm going to double my double chin.

After we did that we came back to our dorms. I am very happy with my storage situation and I am also very happy with my roommate situation. It seems we all have the same feelings on being out too late and sleep. We'll see how it goes. :) Tomorrow? I'll have been in 8 Countries in my life.

United States of America
Mexico (for a day without a passport in the tourist district. Still technically Mexico)
England
France
Belgium
Italy
Vatican City

All of us together again!

Goodbye Paris!

ITALY!

St. Peter's Basilica! There are two countries in one picture!

Pantheon!

PASTA PLACE!

PASTA!

GELATO!

It's always good to see old friends! Who were new friends 9 weeks ago.

Day 64: A Farewell to Paris

2018-03-23T15:28:00.001-06:00

This morning I slept in before going on a final adventure in Paris! Our final exam was to check off the last couple of items on our bucket lists, and I definitely did that.

First off I went and got a crepe for breakfast from our favorite crepe place. Nutella and Strawberries are the best.

Secondly, we went to Shakespeare and Company and looked around. It was a nice little shop, but really claustrophobic.

Lastly, we went and got ice cream from Berthillion, the most famous ice cream shop in Paris, and walked down the Seine like Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. It was really fun.

Sure it was rainy, and the metro was down and we had to figure that out, but I'd say it was a fitting conclusion to my time here.

Before we went home we stopped at the grocery store and I bid farewell to the cashier who became my friend after I saved her from an overly talkative local. She is American and I was always glad to see her.

Following that little adventure I came back and finished getting ready to leave. These are my final thoughts on Paris and France in general:

France has gorgeous countryside. There is so much green everywhere once you get out of the city.
The language isn't as intimidating as I previously thought. Also it is surprising how easy it is to survive in a foreign country without knowing the language.
Sometimes there can be such a thing as too much solitude. Roommates, siblings, and pets keep you sane.
Often it isn't where you travel, but who you travel with that makes the biggest difference.
France has a habit of going on Strike. I didn't know that before.

Here's to sunny and warm Rome!

Day 63: Strike 3! You're Out

2018-03-22T16:28:00.000-06:00

This morning I was able to sleep in. It was a glorious thing. I had my breakfast, and then I decided to pack today so that tomorrow I could have the whole day to explore and squeeze every last bit of goodness out of Paris.

We had planned to go to a Ballet tonight, which I was really excited for. After I packed, I got lunch, worked on some stuff for a little while, and then got ready to go to the Ballet. That was when I found out about the strikes and riots going on within France right now.

You see the President, Emmanuel Macron, has passed some reforms that are going to change the economic policies of France. I don't know enough about the policies at this point to really explain it, but I have been looking into the riots and strikes. There seems to be two sides to this.

First we have the students. They are the ones causing riots in the streets. Wearing masks, destroying public property, the works. Police have been using fire hoses to calm them down.

Second we have the workers in unions. They are the ones causing the strike. Basically most of the people who hold public jobs, especially in transport, have been walking out of their jobs or just not coming to work. When no one comes to work, you can't fire all of them, and you also can't run the city. Hence transportation being basically down.

Because of all of this, the ballet we were going to see got cancelled. I'm kind of bummed, but then again it caused me to look further into French Politics. I found out that one of the French political parties is called the National Front.

Now for the most part, names of political parties don't really get me excited, but this also happens to be the name of a political party in a Space Center Mission! Midnight Rescue. National Front happens to be the political party in charge of New Earth. Midnight Rescue is one of my favorite missions ever, and is one of my favorites to fly. Coincidentally, today was also the day that one of my friends from the Space Center posted a picture relating to Midnight Rescue on Facebook. Since I didn't go out and take pictures today, I'll put that here instead. If you want to read more about the riots/strikes in France or read about French politics I'll link those pages below.

https://www.thelocal.fr/20180322/french-strikes-latest-france-hit-by-major-travel-disruption

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_France

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/22/unions-flood-streets-paris-stand-against-macron-reforms/

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/air-traffic-control-strike-in-france-forces-ryanair-to-cancel-flights-468587.html

Day 62: Out on the Town

2018-03-21T16:22:00.001-06:00

Today was not going to be a day where I stayed inside. No, no, no. I've had enough of that. Today I was going to do something, whether I was with someone or not.

First off we had our second and final class for this section. We talked about music and how it has changed over the centuries and from country to country. I never really thought about it, but every country has its own sound. It's kind of strange to think about.

Highlights from class:

Firstly, Professor Howard's impression of Debussy. It was both spot-on and hilarious. "Ah Oui, I like zis chord. I shall put it 'ere because it sounds pretty. Oh and I like zis chord. I shall put it after for no particular reason ozer zan I like it."
A story about Handel and King George I of England. Back before King George was King George he was the elector of Hanover. Handel worked for him but asked if he could go to London for a little while. George said yes, but only for an amount of time. Handel never came back, set up shop, wrote English music, the whole nine yards. Then George was told he was King of England and he came over to London. It was awkward. According to the story Handel composed music to be played from a boat accompanying George's boat. George liked it so much that he insisted that he meet the composer. Handel came and groveled at his feet, George rolled his eyes and said "up you get," and the rest is history. Of course, that was only an urban legend. In reality, when King George found out that he was going to be King of England he exclaimed, "At least I have a friend in Handel there so I can have someone to speak German with." Or something like that.
We also discussed why it is a bad idea to write symphonies that depict the woman who has spurned you as a witch because you might end up marrying them.
Professor Howard's impression of a symphony since we couldn't listen to the part of it that he was referring to. It tells the story of a man being led to the chopping block. You can hear him thinking about his love with her theme in oboe above everything, then a chopping guillotine, and then the head rolling off, and the applause of the orchestra. If you want to listen to it, here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwCuFaq2L3U The specific part is at around minute 4.

After class, I decided to go out into the city on my own because most everyone else was recovering from EuroDisney or writing essays. I ended up wandering around the area we live near and went to a store that was suggested to me. I needed to stock up on some makeup since I was nearly out of mascara and I've been dying to try some new things since coming here. Something about Paris makes me want to be fashionable, so sue me. Afterward, I found my way back to the hotel and found out that some of the other girls were going out to the Eiffel tower this afternoon. So I got ready, and we went out to the Eiffel Tower. I'll add the pictures that are on my phone here, but one of the girls had a professional camera and was able to take some really nice pictures of me with my beret and the tower. It was really quite lovely. Before we went to the tower, we got some savory crepes, which were delicious.

Since coming back, I've had some dinner, been relaxing, and am really ready for bed. It's been a full day in Paris. 2 more until Rome!

The Grande Arch

The Store I was sent to find

My tasty ham and cheese crepe

Berets and towers go together!

This is a carousel car that has the little prince written on the side of it. I thought it was cute.

Best picture I've gotten yet!

My own skills as a photographer

This woman was carrying around balloons and a bouqet of flowers

Day 61: The Day I Stayed Home

2018-03-21T16:05:00.001-06:00

This was the day that most everyone in our group headed off to an undisclosed mouse and castle related location. I decided not to go because I'd rather go to the one back in California with my family or friends back home once I get back to the states.

Instead, I worked on homework for a good portion of the day. I managed to get the last 6 essays done so I don't have to worry about them for the rest of the week. After I finished the essays I worked on my book for a while. It was wonderful. I was able to get in some major character development and editing, and I'm up to 63000 words.

Later in the evening, I was able to facetime with a friend for a few hours and that was definitely needed. After spending the whole day alone with yourself, you start to talk to yourself and it starts to feel normal.

I would put chapters of my book here but...spoilers. ;) However, seeing as this post is short, perhaps I can tell some of the stories from other times that I've been to Disneyland. It's a really special place for me, and for my family.

The first time I remember going to Disneyland was when I was 6. I was in the first grade. I remember the excitement of going to Disneyland. I remember bringing my Snow White dress to the park. I remember losing two teeth, one in the big red brick area before the entrance, and one in our hotel room. Our hotel room was higher up with a balcony. I saw the biggest raven I had ever seen before sitting on the balcony's railing and wanted to get a closer look. I ended up knocking myself, and my tooth, out on the glass door. I remember getting soaked on the Grizzly River Run. I remember going on Winnie the Pooh a whole bunch of times and losing a charm bracelet in one of the Hunny Pots. I remember my brothers trying to pull the sword out of the stone. I remember the fireworks show. I remember the feeling of seeing the castle lit up for the first time.

The next time I remember was when I was 11. We went all together with all of my siblings and any spouses or children that they had at the time. Mostly what I remember from that was running around with my niece, the fireworks show, and Fantasmic.

Next time we went I was 14. It was the last few weeks of summer vacation, and we were all pining for a vacation. At the time it was only me and my second oldest brother living at home. The other three were either married or on a mission. In 2 weeks we planned a trip to Disneyland. I went to 2 days of school and then was home free. This was the first time I ever went on an airplane, and apparently, my reaction was hilarious. It was so much fun to just run around with only the 4 of us. This was the first trip that I went on any rollercoasters. It started with Big Thunder and progressed quickly to California Screamin'. I love the rush of adrenaline on rollercoasters! I remember meeting Maynard the famous Disneyland employee, having dole whips, and just having fun. The best thing about this trip was that when I got home and went back to school, my mom brought a kitten home in a box. Best week ever.

When I was 16 we went on a trip with my mom and dad, my second oldest brother and my third oldest brother. My dad was really sick at the time and had just had gamma knife radiation. He had a super sore throat and he couldn't go to the park for a very long time. It was hard, but I was glad to be able to go with him. The Disney Cast Members were more than amazing with him. He was able to go and rest up in the first aid station for a few hours and then come back out to play some more. I'm sure it was hard on him, but I'm glad that he came. We had basically unlimited dole whips, rode all of the rollercoasters, found all of the hidden secrets, and I used this trip as an excuse to do field research for my English class.

The last time I went to Disney I was 18. It was the year after my dad had passed away. We went during my senior year and we went with all of my siblings, their spouses, their kids, and my aunt. It was kind of cathartic to go there but really sad at the same time. My second oldest brother and his wife announced that they were pregnant, and the way they announced it was so adorable! I went on rides with my niblings, spent a lot of time with my next oldest brother, rode all the rides that I could, cried a bit, and watched the Paint the Night Parade. Fantasmic was down, but I think I would have completely lost it if we had watched it. I also remember that me and all of my siblings and my mom broke away from everyone else and rode Star Tours together in honor of my dad. It was a wonderful experience.

Looking back, not going to Eurodisney was actually the second time I passed up an opportunity to go to a Disney park. I had the option to go to Disneyworld presented to me a few months back. Unless my husband can convince me somehow, I don't think I'll ever go to a Disney park that isn't Disneyland in Anaheim California. That is my special place with my dad. It is our place. I have so many happy memories of that place, and it holds so much meaning for me. I'll always remember the fun times I've had there, and I'm excited to be able to have more in the future. Hopefully it can become a special place for me and my husband, and then for me and my children. I am sad that I probably won't be able to go with all of my siblings to Disneyland again, but I'm grateful for the memories.

Brother and Sister

Me and Iron Man

The Disneyland Ducks are always watching

My Donald Duck Disney bounding outfit!

Me and Pooh Bear

Day 60: The Pink Berets!

2018-03-19T15:38:00.001-06:00

Today we actually had a lecture section! And it was really fun! It started by getting stuck in rush hour traffic on the metro. Rush hour being 10am. All I could think about was the section from Fantasia 2000 with Rhapsody in Blue when all of the people are crammed in the subway like sardines.

Once there we got the grand tour of the professor's apartment by his lovely daughters. Then once everyone was there we started class. Mostly we talked about different aspects of literature, poems, genres, etc., and reviewed quite a bit from what we talked about in British Literature in London. I did appreciate learning about it from a different perspective and especially enjoyed his reading of "Ode to Autumn" by Keats. We also got marriage and dating advice, which is always nice to log away.

Following the lecture section we had a puppet show by his youngest daughter that followed the storyline of the three little pigs. Except instead of just leaving home they were going to college! Luckily the big bad wolf became their friend and the smartest pig (named Joe) got a girlfriend just by going to the grocery store!

Then it was time for the crafternoon! We got to color and make origami and basically just have fun while it was snowing outside. It was great!

From there it was time for some of the best crepes I've had yet, wandering around the city a bit, and finding a t-shirt and some berets!!! I got a pink one and a black one, and I managed to find a purple one for my sister in law.

Then I found my way back to the hotel. On the metro back there was this really interesting man who got on. He was wearing mustard yellow corduroy pants, a gray turtleneck, a tweed blazer, a tan trench coat, had red and yellow turtleshell reading glasses, thick soled brown loafers, whitish-gray hair, large ears, a well trimmed beard and mustache, good posture, an authoritative attitude, and was reading the newspaper. I've decided to pay more attention to the people on the metro so that I can get more realistic character descriptions.

Anywho, I headed home. I wasn't feeling really well, so I took some medicine, took a nap, and then did laundry. It's been pretty chill since then.

My finished drawing

A Carousel!

My pink beret!

Another angle

Stoic pose