Yesterday we went into the city and to the Vatican! It was really beautiful, almost surreal. I've never seen so many sculptures, collectively, EVER, much less in one place. We walked through some hallways and along the sides are the tombs of past popes, with a special one for the pope that just died. Forgive me for not knowing his name, or the name of the current pope. I'm not catholic and just don't care that much! We weren't supposed to take pictures but I just carried my little video camera and swung it around. Mwua ha ha ha ha. While we were there, we sat through about 10 minutes of mass held in the Vatican, in latin... pretty cool! I took about 80 pictures in a 20 minute period. The one thing I couldn't stop thinking was money, though. The two girls I was with are catholic and are in awe over the vatican and the pope and everything, but I just thought that all the marble and all the gold could be sold to, I don't know, help people???? It was still cool, though.
After the vatican we did some shopping. I got a beautiful painting of the vatican in the distance, with a bridge and water in front of it. It's a watercolor painted and sold by the artist in the street. I also got a shot glass and a magnet.
After shopping we went to the Trevi Fountain, which I think is my favorite so far. It's sooooo beautiful. LOL Outisde the fountain were people dressed up. You throw change at them and take a pic. One guy looked like he was from the movie 300. I got him on video. TOO funny.
OOOOOH We also had gelato yesterday. YUM!!!! I could live off that stuff.

Today we went to the beach. It took about 1 1/2 to get there, by train and subway [vomit]. People here smell SO bad and we are all crammed into a tiny subway. I just wanna stick my head out a window like a dog. ...Speaking of dogs, they get to ride the trains and subways, too, and not like in the states-in a cage. They walk on with a leash. Lola should definitely be here. LOL.
The beach was not impressive, and neither were the boobies. Yes, boobies. Although they were better than the ones on South Beach, we were not impresseed, as foreigners. Hahaha.
So far I have decided that I was definitely born in the right country. Although I love it here and it's beautiful, I like the more comfortable life in the US. I like my car, my 'normal' sized roads, and central AC.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, we are doing the colosseum and the sistine chapel. Then tomorrow night, Giuseppe and Perla (aunt and uncle) are having a little get together at the house. Should be fun!
This has been a good segway into spanish for me. We speak spanish the whole time, with random italian words thrown in by them. But I'm thinking I'm starting to sing like they do when I talk. We're gonna get to Spain with a really funny accent. lol

BTW, Mom, wine is TOTALLY acceptable at lunch. We drink it everytime. :)