La Cittá Eterna – (la – chee-ta – E-tear-nah) – The Eternal City

          Well the weekend  that I had been planning for the past 9 months finally happened…..started with an overnight train to Rome….we left Torino at 10pm and got to Roma at 6am…..immediately we found our way into the city and were off to find the hostel to drop off our bags….so back when they first announced the date of Pope John Paul II’s canonization I knew that I would go, so I emailed my cousin pat to help me find where the best hostel to stay for the week would be and booked whatever he sent back to me….this was in October….as we got closer to the hostel all of a sudden I realized where we were….because I saw the dome of st. Peter’s Basilica….literally we were staying across the road from the wall of the Vatican, it was as close as you could get and completely perfect, we loved it!

            …we got in dropped our bags and went over to see St. Peters because we figured that since there were only a few thousand people there it would only get busier the longer we waited….we waited in about a 15 minute line to go through the metal detector and head in, and it was just as completely amazing as I remember…it was really cool to be back in St. Peter’s now just 3 years after my first time and to feel how much has changed between then and now…..3 years ago, Pope JP II had just been beautified and I had been just diagnosed with thyroid cancer 9 days before, and now at the Vatican for his canonization and 1 month away from 2 years cancer free….it was an overwhelming and amazing feeling to be there again……..as we continued to walk around I kept seeing masses being held in the side altars, and then I realized it was in EVERY side altar, and I was hearing different languages too….it was so cool, probably about 20 masses happening simultaneously!...

            ….over the course of this weekend I saw so many priests, nuns and monks it was absolutely incredible….after we were done walking through the Basilica, we were off to find the house of one of Erinn’s friends that was studying in Rome since that is where she was staying…..we were able to drop off her back and actually meet up with another of Erinn’s friends that was finished studying in London and was now in Roma to tour so she came with us….

            …and we were off, I don’t really know if we planned to do it all on Friday or if it just happened but we actually basically did all the big attractions in one day….we metroed and then got out and started walking towards Piazza Navona….we stopped along the way for some paninis along the way and then later some gelato, before finally crossing the street and walking the last few minutes into the Piazza…..it was so so so busy (as to be expected I guess), but we found a little shop to get my Rome scarf and sunglasses for those of us who had forgotten them for the day because man was it gorgeous outside!!!

 






         …after walking through the piazza and watching all the performers and artist, we were off toward the pantheon….and man this whole walk was just filled with memories from the first time I was in europe with the soccer team….Rome was the first place that we went in Europe and I think that is probably part of the reason it is my favorite city….i simply adore it….

           ….after the pantheon, it was to the exact spot of my favorite place in the whole entire world…..La Fontana di Trevi……the Trevi Fountain…..it was the top of my bucket list before my first trip so I came, saw and tossed my coin to wish and ensure my return to rome…and here I was, back again…..i cant believe this life that I get to live….i never really dreamed I would be back to Roma….but after this trip, I tossed my coin knowing that I would be no matter what….i will return to that amazing place… 

            …after the trevi, it was towards the Spanish steps, but obviously it was CRAZY with tourists, like you couldn’t see any of the stairs….so we just took the metro from there in Piazza Spagna, to Colosseo…..we arrived and I lost my breathe again when I walked out of that metro station and saw it…..im not even really that in love with the Colosseum, but it’s the fact this was the first thing I saw in Europe and its what started my love of international travel….thankfully we had our tickets to get in, and got to skip the 5 hour line, hooray for the internet J….we took our time walking around, and taking lots of pictures, before heading out and over to the Forum….

  

          ….then it was finally back to the hostel for naps….unfortunately Erinn and her friend weren’t allowed in our rooms (I don’t know it’s a odd rule Italians sometimes follow) so I sat out with them in the lobby while the other two took naps…..after about an hour or two, we had a plan to meet up with the other friend for dinner…..after walking around to 57 different bus stops trying to find the best one, we finally just got on and hoped, and thankfully we were right! But man did that bus get so so so crowded! We finally just got off kinda close and walked the rest of the way…..it was in a cool district of Rome that I don’t remember the name of haha, but dinner was really really good…..finally had that carbonara that dad told me I would like and should eat at lunch in Rome our first day that I turned him down on….silly silly me…..

            …after a good 2 hour dinner full of fun, stories and laughs, it was back home to the hostel….i was so tired, I was even falling asleep on the bus!....but we were getting a good night of sleep tonight because it was the only one we were getting in Rome J..

(PS HUGE! thank you to Kaitlyn for all of the Photos of this weekend....shes the best :) )