feeling better, moving on

so karissa and I are feeling much better and out of the sickhouse in Rome, which we LOVED. We stayed with the sweetest woman in Rome named Francesca and had such a fun time with her and we were all sick together. We were all coughing and snotty...it was pretty funny and somehow Karissa and I managed to repair our immune systems.

You know how they always say that youll wait in line all day at the Vatican? Well, I waited for 30 minutes to see the Vatican and Sistine Chapel (my number one) - thats it. How great. It was INCREDIBLE. I ran through the museum, past the tour groups, and into the sistine chapel where guards tell you no picutres and no video...of course i took both. whoops! Once again, no picture can describe its beauty and my neck still hurts from craning upwards to stare at the painting for an hour. I loved it and was surprised that nobody ever mentions how great the floor is in there! It is a mosaic tile with a basic design, but its really pretty and I never knew that!

I also saw St. Peters Basilica...it was nice but sooo extremely gaudy...just gold and opulence everywhere I have a hard time believing people pray there. I guess theres a lot to look at when youre bored during services...

We took a trip d0wn to Naples from Rome and am so glad we did so. Cant believe how dirty and almost industrial Naples is. Also, its really, really cheap. I wish I had room in my pack for shopping because they had such cheap clothing there. Oh well. I did, however, get my nosed pierced! I have to have a stud in for a bit, but will soon change it to a thin, gold ring. Cant wait for that. And dont think I was the only one...Karissa got a piercing too! Right under the bottom lip. Check out the pictures..theyre not great but youll get the idea.

Our host in Naples was a family: Vivianna (24), Sergio (19), and the Italiano momma, Anna Rosaria, who has the most beautiful hair ever. When I imagine myself at her age that is exactly how I see my hair. Full and mostly dark with white sprinkled in. She doesnt color it and it is just so nice. The pictures really suck on this one. Anna Rosaria took us to a fantastic pizzaria where we got real Napoli pizza and some gelati later on. Delicious. She was so nice and her house had an absolutely gorgeous rooftop view of Naples. I could live on her roof for a year - seriously.

I visited the Amalfi coast while down in Naples and was awed by the magnificence of the entire area. The busride there was magical. Seriously magical. blue/green water that gave way to tiered housing up the mountainside...it was just so beautiful. I find myself searching for words to describe it but I have none. I thought New Zealand was the most beautiful place ever, but the Amalfi coast gives NZ a run for its money. Magnificent.

Karissa went to Pompei for the day and I hear she had a great time. Saw very well preserved frescos and got a free necklace from a shopowner! Sorry I have no pictures for that one.

So now we are back in Rome for the night and will catch the busabout bus tomorrow morning for FLORENCE. Im very excited about this one.





I cannot believe I am more than halfway through with my trip. I could do this for years. I feel that Ive done so much and yet so little, seen so many sites and missed so many more. Its so hard to realize Ill be done soon. I now, more than ever, realize I need a job that allows me to do this for the rest of my life, because I dont know how Ill survive otherwise.