Graffiti Tour & Borghese Gardens

Tuesday morning we walked around seeing some graffiti (more like street art) around Rome. One of the artists painted famous people from all over the world starting with A to Z. Some of my favorites/ones I recognized included Frida Kahlo, Spike Lee (b/c of the Brooklyn hat ;) and President Obama*.

Our fun tour guide

Of course we had to stop and get lunch. Caprese salad with balsamic vinaigrette. 

Later that afternoon, I went with some friends to the Borghese Gardens. I had been to the gardens before, but this time we walked around a lot and I got to see much more of it. 

Row boats

Beautiful views

Gorgeous lake!

*this is not an endorsement, I only mean I like the picture. haha.

Vatican Museum

On Monday, we ventured out into the rain once again to see the Vatican museum. This was one of the things I was most excited to see! Unfortunately, I had a run-in with my roommate's bed the night before and smashed/sprained/maybe broke my pinkie toe :( I do have pictures, but I'll spare you. Long story short, I'm thankful my parents gave me a first aid with some medical tape and gauze and I just taped my last two toes together and off my group went.

The museum was fairly crowded, especially in the Sistine Chapel. However, no one was in the Raphael room. Craziness. My favorite sculpture involved miracles that Jesus performed including feeding the 5000, bringing back Lazarus from the dead, and one of my favorite stories from Matthew 9:21-22. (She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said,“your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.)

I didn't take many pictures at the museum itself. I just walked around and took everything in. Some of my highlights included of course the Sistine chapel, the Raphael room, the mummies, and some neat pieces in the Contemporary Art museum. 

Waiting in line... 

One of the only pictures I took. 

 Of course eating out all the time gets old so one of my roommates Jen made some pasta for us one night for dinner. It was yummy!

So yummy :)

 Yummy alfredo sauce:
1-8 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
4 tablespoons of butter
1-cup of milk
1-cup of Parmesan cheese

Melt cream cheese and butter together.  Add milk and Parmesan cheese, keep stirring.

Missy Goes To Venice

I've been wanting to go to Venice for a while. There's something so tranquil about a city that doesn't allow cars or scooters. Where the only way to get around is by walking or by boat. When my wonderful boyfriend, Chris, came back from his two month European backpacking adventure, he brought me back a beautiful etching of a Gondola that he had gotten in Venice. So for the past (almost) two years, that picture has been hanging on my wall. Let me just say that Venice is exactly how I imagined it, only more beautiful!

We left on the 8am train for a four hour trip. After being on a plane for close to 9 hours, this trip was a piece of cake. I got to finish 'The Lucky One', which I throughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Meylin and I waiting to leave on the train! 

The view from the bridge right outside our hotel

Tiramisu gelato

Our first night for dinner, my friends Meylin, Jen and I enjoyed a four course dinner for only 15 euro. A great bargain! And considering their lasagna was the best I've had on the trip so far, I would have paid 15 euro for the lasagna alone!

Course #1- Lasagna

Course #2

Course #3Baked chicken (didn't eat much...full from all that lasagna ;)

Course #4- Coffee

The second day we walked around San Marco's square. It was very crowded and we quickly walked through the piazzo so we could avoid it as much as possible.

Marinara pizza for lunch the next day (yep, no cheese just sauce,  oregano and fresh garlic! So good. )

Dinner-My new favorite pasta gnocchi! So cheesy and good. I've got to try and make this at home when I get back 

Drum roll please....tiramisu for dessert. 

Clearly it wasn't very good at all ;) 

The view over looking the bridge at dusk. Right after I snapped this picture, I leaned over to my friend Jen and said the only thing that could make this trip better was if my boyfriend was with me. Venice is so romantic. Right as I finished, a group of semi-drunk students from South Georgia busted out singing 'Wagon Wheel' complete with several tambourines and some semi on-key harmonies, to which my friend replied to me, "Still feeling all that romance stuff, now?" haha. 

The shopping in Venice was to die for. So much jewelry from Murano, an island off of Venice that specializes in glass. I literally could have bought the whole store. Everything in there was beautiful!


The one thing we wanted to do was ride a Gondola, but by the time we decided to find one, we couldn't. Terrible luck, considering the two previous days we had turned down a bunch for rides. Oh well, just another excuse to come back to Venice :)

Missy Goes To Orvieto

Due to the rain, instead of walking about Rome, our group took a train to Orvieto. The trip only took about an hour and was peaceful.

Fun times on the train

 The views were breathtaking!

Kelly and I enjoying the scenery! What a change from the city.

It was sprinkling a little all day, hints the top of my umbrella in the picture. 

Orvieto Cathedral

So big, couldn't get the whole front in frame. It was gorgeous!

Okay, so I miss my dogs and had to take a picture of this fella...adorable. 

 We went on an underground cave tour. Most of the caves in Orvieto are privately owned and used as wine cellars.

After spending most of the day in Orvieto, we rode the trolley back down to the train station to head home.

After being gone the whole day, that night we were all starving. We went to a nice restaurant,  where I had pizza and tiramisu. So delicious!

Buffalo mozzarella, yummy! 

Forget gelato....tiramisu is my go-to dessert in Italy ;) 

Rain rain go away!

This was the first morning that we ventured out in the rain. Of course, the trams were full so we squeezed into one and then walked to the Circus Maximus. This was where chariot racing took place. Our professor compared it to Bristol Motor Speedway ;) It was built in 326 B.C. I’ve been amazed at how well many of the structures in Rome are preserved.

After that we walked to the Roman forum and saw the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Vesta, the Basilica of Maxentius.

Our final stop was the coliseum. My roommates and I had walked by it a couple days ago, but I had no idea what the inside would look like.

 Feeling a craving for some American food, some of my friends and one of our professors went to Hard Rock Café for lunch. I had a yummy burger and French fries along with a four euro coca light (that’s about 5 U.S. dollars! A rip-off, but I needed the caffeine. Haha)

I went to the grocery store again and was glad to figure out their fruit pricing system. I got some Rice Krispies and milk, because I was just feeling like eating some cereal after that big lunch.

Where I live!

This morning, I woke up late. (Actually I never went to sleep...because right outside my window, preparations were going on for the biggest flea market in Rome). There's no telling how many vendors were there. This thing stretched out for a while.

I wandered around the market for forty-five minutes. I didn't buy anything ( clearly I don't have my mom's shopping gene :) haha. My dreaded head cold made a re-appearance and thus I came back to my apartment, took a hot shower (a luxury when you live with eight other girls), bundled up, and did some crossword puzzles and read some Roman history.

Since I wasn't feeling super great today, I mainly just rested and enjoyed hearing what my friends bought from the market.

Tomorrow, my class is going to the Circus Maximus and the colosseum. My lungs must be in good working order, because we will be walking A LOT!

Since I didn't venture out I just took pictures of my apartment, which will be my home for the next two weeks, minus next weekend in Venice :)

Kitchen 

Living room

Our 'get ready' bathroom

My closet ( it wouldn't be as messy, but there's no where else to put my suitcase)

Shower!

My bed and nightstand.

There's three of us in my room. Three's company :)

My desk...which clearly never gets used as a desk.