Ciao, Italy

I got back in jolly old (10 degrees colder than italy and spain) england on Monday june 15.

>>I arrived in the Fiumicino airport in Rome on the 8th and promptly got my shuttle to the hostel. as i was standing in line to check in, i was considering my options for finding out if julie and her friend had already checked in too. i look up and there she came down the stairs to see if i had arrived yet!! it was so great. couldnt have planned it better ;)

the first 2 nights i was in a 'bungalow' (basically like a mini trailer) with a smalllllllllll bathroom. convenient. then the last 3 nights i stayed with julie in the tent. we learned that earplugs and a shared bottle of wine at dinner really makes for the best sleeping environment ;p cuz the tents area was VERY near the busy road.....and i am a light sleeper......and i dont like having the feeling that there is a bus stop in our tent....so therefore wine and earplugs were necessary!

so, our days were busy with lots of walking, sightseeing, eating, and drinking!! only wine at night wtih dinner, and glugs and glugs of water during the day!! im pretty sure the average temp was around 90 with some humidity!! it was brilliant and i loved it, but still....stickyness isnt so much fun.


i saw the Palentine Hill, Colloseum (Colosseo in Italian), Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Vatican/Sistene Chapel, Catacombes, Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi), Piazza del Popolo, the Spanish Steps, and the National museum. so, we did a lot of stuff!! the hostel where we stayed was like a biiiiiiiig camp site, it was pretty cool. they had a bar and had themed parties each night, and a pool (though when i stood it was at my waist :( and it was clean and they had a bus stop into town. my favorite places were the Colloseo and Piazza Navona!!!! First, the Colleseo was obviously amazing cuz thats where the gladatorial games took place and it was crazy to see how many people fit in there (seated according to social class) and the crazy carnage that once took place for public entertainment! and, Piazza Navona is a famous/popular plaza area with lots and lots of gelatarias and outdoor restuarants! we first went there at night after eating dinner outside on a narrow side street, and it was like i was in a dream or a movie or something!! there were lots of people around, artists, accordians playing, people dining outside under the clear sky, the temperature was perrrrrrrrrrrrfect....not too cool but still a bit balmy to keep you warm.. the dim street lights and lanterns from the cafes made the streets glow and added a touch more of historical flare to the ancient buildings all around. (am i getting poetic yet? ;)

everything else was awesome too. the Trevi Fountain was really a site to see. there are so many fountains, big and small, everywhere. i love how well they have perserved and boast their Roman history!! theres nothing like that in the U.S. so its nice to see a city/country that is still very closely tied to their roots.

Then, julie and i spent 2 days in Madrid, enjoying the still searing hot sun but with dryer air!! not so much sweat :) we tooled around some parks and gardens, and went inside the emperor's palace, and looked around at the shops in town. i also purchases a pair of RayBans!! julie was so proud of me to get a pair of 'aviator-like' shades ;) and i give her a gold star for not killing me for taking prolly nearly 1 hour just standing in the store with the sunglasses on staring at myself wondering if i shoudl get them!! ohhhhhhhhhhh my indecisivness!! curse you!!!

so, thats about it. i didnt get sunburned....or really anything near a tan, but thats better than blisters and freckles!!! Grazie SPF 30 and 50!!

so, thats all for now. cant WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT to get back home with the fam. it seems everyone else is flying the english nest very soon....i dont want to be abandoned!!