Ciao From Rome...

Week 4 and Venice: February 7-13

On Sunday, since I came back from Prague early I had all day on Sunday free.  Jess, Krista, and I cleaned the apartment.  Then Jess and I went running in the park in Monte Verde.  We ended up getting lost in the park because we thought it curved around but it didnt.  We eventually found an exit, not the same one we came in, and decided to leave the park.  We ended up wondering around Monte Verde for about 2 hours before we found a place we recognized but it was still fun because we got to talk, explore, and we had nothing else we had to do that day.  For layers this week we ended up going to the Forum and Colosseum which were both awesome.  It is so amazing to stand there and hear Paul talk about what went on in that exact place you are standing. It was also nice to finally go to the Colosseum.  I still think it’s kind of pathetic that I had been in Rome for almost a month and still had not seen it.  On Friday, we visited a vineyard called Castello dell Regine but more on that in the next post.  For the weekend, almost everyone in the program was going to Venice for Carnivale.  On Friday night, half of our group took the overnight train to Venice and the other half left on Saturday morning.  The overnight train was not as freaky as I thought it would be of course that is only one experience.  On the train April and me shared a compartment with 4 other people.  There was a man on the train getting off 2 stops before us and April and I talked to him (attempted we tried Italian he tried English we did the best we could : ) )  Anyway he was telling us how he lives in Rome but every chance he gets he commutes to Venice for the weekend so he can spend it with his wife and kids. Then he showed us the toys he was bringing home for his kids.  Then he also talked to us about his last commute home he was in a compartment with all American Girls and he told us it was one of his favorite rides home because they were really sweet and funny. When it was his stop he checked our ticket and told us how many stops till we should get off to make sure we got off at the right one.  He was soooo nice.  We arrived in Venice super early in the morning and could not check into our hostel so we wondered around Venice trying to find it so we would know.  Venice is ridiculous. I dont know how anyway could ever know for sure where to go.  We ended up asking someone and they walked us most of the way there.  Then we had time to kill so some of us went to the main square and watched the sun rise.  By the time the sun was mostly risen there were already people out in costumes for Carnivale possing for photographers.  We walked around the square for awhile looking at the costumes and then we headed back towards the hostel.  We stopped off at a cafe to eat some breakfast and then went to the hostel.  We checked in but our rooms were not ready yet so we all spread out on the floor and in the common room to sleep.  After I woke up I went with a group of people to Murano, the island of Venice where the glass is made.  We watched some glass being made and then we walked around looking at the glass pieces in a bunch of shops.  I ended up finding these really cool looking glass beads that I could put on the hemp necklaces and bracelets I make.  They were 3 Euro each so I was only going to get 6 of them but then I was talking and joking around with the sales lady and she said she would only charge me 1 Euro for them so then I bought a few extra.  That totally made my day!  After we looked at a lot of the shops we stopped at a store and bought some wine and then hopped on a fairy back to the main island.  We ate dinner at the hostel.  During dinner Bree and Linsay pointed out that it was my birthday the next day.  We got ready to go out, when up to one of the other rooms in the hostel and started to pregame.  Then we walked to a square that had music playing outside and hungout there.  When it got near midnight Bree and Linsay bought me a shot.  That is the last bit of the night I remember….. Apparently I was very funny and entertaining the rest of the night though and the night ended with Mitch and Kyle carrying me piggyback back to the hostel.  Thanks Guys!  I would like to point out though Bree took a video once we were back at the hostel when people tried to put me in bed. It was the wrong one an I kept debating the fact with everyone.  Finally they said then go lay in your bed and once I layed in it someone was like ooo guys that is her bed.  Needless to say, I felt horrible on Sunday but I took a fairy with the Claires and Sarah back to Murano and showed them the exhibit of the guy making glass and then we went around to shops.  I grabbed dinner with Bree, Linday, and the guys.  Then we headed to the train station to go back.  Probably one of the best decisions of my life was to pay the extra money to take the express train back on Sunday instead of the overnight train.  All in all,  it was a fun weekend… what I remember of it anyway ;)  Thanks to everyone for a great Birthday!!!!