Part Three

Rome day two. On our second day in Rome we went to Vatican City.

The Vatican Museum houses some incredible artwork including Raphael's The School of Athens. Painted in this piece were philosophers, artists and scholars including Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Socrates, and Michelangelo.

We also saw the Sistine Chapel (twice thanks to the museum being incredibly difficult to navigate when certain rooms are closed).  This was my second (and third) time being in the Sistine Chapel and it never got old. I am amazed by the work in that chapel. I love the details and the bright colors that Michelangelo chose to use on the ceiling.

I especially love the well known middle scene of the ceiling. I love the strength in God's finger and the nonchalance in Adam's. I love that the cloth surrounding God takes the shape of a brain showing his supreme knowledge. And I love that God is portrayed as a man just like Adam.

After the Vatican Museum, we made our way over to St. Peter's.

St. Peter's houses another one of my favorite artworks from Michelangelo, the Pieta.This sculpture shows the broken body of Christ held by Mary after His crucifixion.

 

After we explored the enormous cathedral, we went to find the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. I never knew why the Spanish Steps were famous, I just knew they were and that they were a definite must see. Turns out they are the longest and widest stairs in Europe. When we were there they were setting up for some Christmas concert which meant poinsettias everywhere. It was gorgeous.

After the steps we made our way over to the Trevi Fountain which we thoroughly enjoyed despite the rain. We all took turns throwing coins into the fountain because the story is that if you do so, you will come back one day. It worked for me ( and will again).

I believe we also finished this night up with more gelato before heading to Switzerland. So, we drove to Switzerland, which was really fun since there was a blizzard, and even more fun since they don't really clear the roads there like we do here. Anyway, we finally made it to Zermatt, this darling ski town in the Alps. Denise and Jason went snowboarding and got up close and personal with the Matterhorn. I, not being a skier or a snowboarder, opted to explore the town, browse the shops, buy a book, and drink hot chocolate.

 

I still got to see the Matterhorn, just not quite as up close...It's that insanely tall peak in the background...

After Switzerland we drove back to Milan where we boarded a plane back to London. The adventures there are coming next.

Part Two

Rome as promised...
I loved Rome. Now, I have actually been there before, but I seemed to have forgotten how amazing this city is. So much history, so much to see, and so much to do. It was like I was there for the first time. We got to Rome Saturday night and stayed in the Marriott ( thanks to Jason for the associate rate). Sunday morning was church, and another driving adventure. Seriously though, these people really do whatever they want.

After church we went to the Piazza Navona where there was a wonderful Christmas market going on and tons of people.

The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers is also found in the piazza and can be seen in Angels and Demons.

Now, this next picture is for those of you who understand how I feel about Santa Claus. For those of you who don't know, I used to be terrified of him. I distinctly remember not going on a school field trip as a child because I knew he was going to be there. And then there's the whole "he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake..." and I just think that's creepy. Turns out, Santa is even creepier in Italy. Yes, he climbs into the windows there. I can't imagine how much scarier that would have been for me as a child.

Next we made our way to the Pantheon. I love this structure because honestly, I don't think it's that impressive from the outside, but the inside is beautiful.

After the Pantheon we decided it was time for gelato. Fortunately you can't walk ten feet in Italy without running into a gelato shop. So, despite the cold, we indulged.

After a gelato break, we made our way to the Colosseum and Forum. Again, even though I have been before, I was still impressed. The history of Rome is fascinating to me, and what used to go on in the Colosseum is interesting though sometimes unnerving.

 

 

 

After the Forum we walked back through the Piazza Navona where Jason was pulled into a street performer's show.

After the entertainment we booked it back to where we were supposed to catch the shuttle back to the hotel since we were pretty exhausted. The end of day one in Rome.

Tomorrow's post will be day two in Rome, and depending on how late I stay up, we may get to Switzerland too. 

On Holiday: Part One

I have the most amazing parents in the world. This year for Christmas, they let me go to London to visit my friend Denise, instead of coming home and spending time with them. I've been home for a few days and am starting to get over the jet lag, so I decided it was time to share the trip with you all. However, I was gone for 14 days. I did a lot, and saw a lot, and there is no way I can put it all in one post. Plus, I'm sure none of you would read it if it were all in one post, so I've decided to spread it out. Hence this post, Part One.

My first night in London we went to see Les Miserables. It was soooo good. I only have one picture to document this event because this was probably the coldest night I spent in London and we could only stand to be outside for the 20 seconds in took to run to the coffee shop and get hot chocolate.

The next morning, we left for Milan where we rented a car to drive to Venice. Oh how we loved that little car.

Now, keep in mind that when we originally planned to roadtrip through Italy, it was supposed to be in the 50's. We arrived to the snow, and even had a blizzard in Venice, which we were told was a rare event.

We were in Venice during acqua alta which means high waters in Italian. And they were. We all broke down and bought wellies that day so we could walk around the city. Before my purchase, I had to be carried.

We spent the day walking around the city, seeing St. Mark's, and playing in the snow and rain (once we had our boots).

 

Now it is officially 8:31 pm Utah time which is 3:31 am London time. I am clearly not over the jet lag as I feel like I could go to sleep now and not wake up for a very long time. Therefore, this ends Venice and Part One. Next we go to Rome...

Happy Birthday Mom

I don't know if my mom reads my blog. I don't even know if she knows I have a blog. But, I'm going to post this for her anyway, because I love her and it's her birthday. So, everyone else out there, you don't have to read this if you don't want to, unless you wanna know about how awesome my mom is.

Mom, I could not even begin to list all of the reasons you're one of my favorite people. So, I picked five of them.

1. I know how important the Gospel is in your life. You let me see you reading your scriptures and saying your prayers. Thank you for that example.

2. You're one of the most surprisingly competitive people I know. I don't think many people would would guess this about you, until they start to play a game with you. I think it's fun.

3. You can't watch the end of a BYU football game if there are only five minutes left and the score is within seven. I can't count the number of games you have left the room, left the stadium, or sat down and hid your eyes so you didn't have to watch.

4. You're one of my best friends. If I don't call you everyday I get a message asking why not.

5. You have great taste in shoes. I know if I open a shoe box from you that I'm going to love them. If only we wore the same size...

I love you mom. Happy Birthday!

26 23

Just makes me happy

Pre Blessed Meals

Our newest million dollar idea. Katie and I went to my grandparents' house to watch the BYU vs Utah (Go Cougars!) game this weekend. The Elders were also there as one was a huge BYU fan. My grandma had reheated Thanksgiving dinner for us to enjoy as we watched the game. We wondered if we had to say a prayer before eating since the Elders were over. Grandma said it had already been blessed at least once so we didn't need to. Katie and I thought this was brilliant. Pre blessed dinners. Think about all the time this would save during dinner. No more waiting for the family to gather, no more fights about who has to say the prayer this time, no more laughing during the blessing (mom)...
We're pretty excited to market this one.

I'm Officially a Convert...

...To the Tim Tam Slam. I first heard of these amazing cookies from Jessica- a friend I met on my study abroad. She told me of their delicousness and asked me to look for them when I took a detour to London. Alas, they were nowhere to be found there. And now, two and a half years later, they have been brought to the United States by our friends at Pepperidge Farm. I had been told the only way to eat these cookies was by performing the Tim Tam Slam.

Instructions: Bite off both ends of the Tim Tam, use it as a straw to suck up your hot chocolate, and shove the gooey mess into your mouth as soon as the hot chocolate hits your lips.

Katie, who doesn't like soggy things, was skeptical. We tried it together over Thanksgiving break. She described it as warm, chocolate cake. I highly recommend it. And I highly recommend the caramel flavor to do so.