Eaten a 4 euro Pizza Margarita at a pizzeria by myself in Napoli while the waiters and cook kept coming over to make sure I was okay because I was by myself
Had about 18 Caffe Freddi while sitting on a beach staring at Mt. Vesuvius
Had my bikini bottoms pulled down by a child I did not know
Picked peaches, plums, and lemons off trees in our backyard
Been told by an Italian grandmother that I need to hurry and find un bel ragazzo to sposarsi with. Apparently she thinks I am running out of time.
Eaten 4 different kinds of fish (and liked them! especially the pesce spada Gasp!)
I have also celebrated Giulio's 2nd birthday!
Eaten some of these...
These are Italian donuts, and in Naples and other parts of the south they are called Graff, and they are so much better than the ciambelle you can find in Rome.
Francesca, Cecilia, and I went to Positano.
It is so beautiful there!
Met up with these girls in Naples, where we played foosball in a convent...
We thought it was weird too.
Cecilia and Francesca tried a fruit roll up!
They have each requested a box to be sent to them once I get back in the States.
Went back to Rome for my weekend off and cried when I saw this for the first time in two weeks.
I swear, no matter how many times I see Il Colosseo it still amazes me.
This month away from Rome has been surprisingly good! It has been tiring and at times, a little lonely, but over all not to shabby.
Now, I am anxious to get back to Rome, for August to start (yay month long vaca!), and for my 3 best friends to arrive!!
One thing I have been so thankful for during my time in Italy is the amazing group of friends God has blessed me with. I distinctly remember being so nervous that I would wind up in Rome, friendless and lonely, but like He always does, God overfilled my cup with so many wonderful friends. Within that group, are several Americans, with whom I got to celebrate Thanksgiving and Easter.
We also made plans to celebrate the 4th of July together, but decided to share the fun of the 4th with our friends from around the world.
The night of the 4th a group of us got together and ate some traditional American (okay traditional Southern) food. Then we headed to the park, lit some sparklers, and sang the National Anthem. It was a great night!!
Here are a few photos of the fun!
The Spread: BBQ Chicken, Green Beans, Blackeyed peas, Cornbread, Fruit Salad
The Chefs...we can call ourselves that, right?
Friends anticipating the yummy Southern American food.
Apple Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert. Does not get much more American than that.
Nestled roughly halfway between Rome and Naples is what I like to call heaven on earth, but what Italy likes to call the city of Sperlonga.
This place is simply breathtakingly beautiful. For some reason, I find it to be one of the most peaceful places I have ever been even sitting amidst a crowd on the beach.
I mean who wouldn't find this peaceful?
There is something about the mountains meeting the sea that make Sperlonga the perfect place to be. That last time I was there, some friends and I rented a paddleboat with a slide for an hour to play a little bit in the water. Two things kept creeping into my mind as we made our way out to sea.
The first is this quote from the opening paragraph of Moby Dick:
"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off -- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can."
I often feel like I need to just take to the sea, or at least get to a beach, and everything will make sense.
The second is how big God is to have created all of this. Here I sat on this boat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea staring up at these mountains, and I am overwhelmed by God's grace for giving me simple moments like these to remind me to be thankful for his goodness and his bigness. If he made this sea, if he made those mountains, why do I ever need to worry about anything? All I need to do is simply look up to those mountains, because, of course, from there comes my help. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121).
I have already been to Sperlonga twice, and intend to go back por lo meno (at least) one more time.
The first time was with this sweet friend...
Then another time for a friend's birthday. We spent the whole day there, and watched the sunset over the sea. Of course we were almost stranded in Sperlonga for the night, but we made the most of it! Let's just say that taxis do not always arrive at their appointed times in Italy.
This place is glorious. It is postcard perfect in every way. If you ever make a trip to Italy, I highly recommend taking a break from the craziness of Rome and hopping a train to Sperlonga. Well worth the 15 euros it costs to get there and back.
True confession...I could live here. The last time I was here, I thought, "I may never leave," but then I did. I had to go back to Rome, and, of course, I love Rome. Nothing, however, quite compares to Sperlonga.
Then I decided that this is the perfect spot to get married. Anyone have a wedding coming up? Yes? No? Well, in that case, whenever I get married, I think I will get married here (as long as the person I marry agrees).
I know I am a long time from having to plan these things, but this seems like a pretty exquisite place to tie the knot. The sea in front and the mountains behind. Both reflections of God's infiniteness and strength to do all things. Yep, I will get married here in Sperlonga one day.
L'Estate is how we say summer in Italian. We also use the word caldo to describe l'estate. Why? Because caldo means hot. And summer in Rome is caldo, caldo, caldo, especially without air conditioning. I have been sweating, day and night, for a month. Sometimes I wonder why I even shower, because after I do, I just start sweating again, but this is beside the point.
The point is that Rome is hot in the summer, and we Romans do a lot of things to beat the heat.
These are as follows: a. go to the beach b. eat gelato or granita while at the beach c. go to the beach
Thankfully, one can get to the beach from Rome by train in about 45 minutes. Plus, the cost is only a metro ticket. Here are a few things I have learned about going to the beach in Italy:
1. The sand is not white like our beautiful gulf coast beaches. In fact, some of the sand is almost black, and this means that the sand gets really, really caldo. 2. Just like Italians have to shower as soon as they get out of the pool, dry their hair, and then get dressed before going home, they also shower and change clothes after a day at the beach. That seems normal, right? I mean, who does not love a good shower after a day at the beach once you are back at your beach house or condo? Well, Italians shower right there at the beach in these little enclosed showers stalls that cost around one euro to use. We don't do that in the states, right? Maybe it's because the Mediterranean Sea is so salty (it is soooo salty). 3. Italians are very comfortable and very free with their bodies. No matter how old or young you are, no matter how fat or thin you are, it is perfectly acceptable to parade around the beach in a bikini or a Speedo. In America, we are so consumed with having a perfect body, and are quick to cover up if we are out of shape. Not in Italy. There are 75-year-old grandmothers rocking bikinis on the beach, and you know what? I think we can learn a lot from this. These people are comfortable with who they are. 4. Along those same lines, it is also perfectly acceptable to not wear a top at the beach. I will leave that statement to speak for itself. 5. Italians do crowded beaches. People are sitting almost right on top of each other and do not seem to mind in the least. I know that this has been somewhat of an adjustment for me. My American mentality says that I need a lot of space, but sometimes, it is just nice to be on the beach, regardless of how close you are to the potentially topless person next to you. 6. Italians do paid beaches. I mean you can definitely find free ones, but Italians do not mind paying for a beach, then paying for the chairs and the umbrellas, and then paying for drinks, coffee, and food at the beach bar. Same with pools...pools cost money to go to here, and they are certainly not cheap! It cost at least 30 euros for me to take the kids to the pool for only half a day! 7. Having a beach so close means that I am really tanned (yes Mom, I have been wearing sunscreen...sometimes). No complaints about that. Every time I come home from a morning at the beach, the family always comments about how abbronzata or tanned I am. I think, that considering how pale I was in the winter, they are a little shocked to see that not only can I tan, but that I can get pretty dark. 8. Not that people are not selling random and completely superfluous things on every street corner, tourist site, or traffic light in Rome, but it seems to me that the beach is the place to go if you have some cheap piece of jewelry, sun glasses, or hair bands to sell. Your restful day at the beach is constantly interrupted by someone trying to sell you all kinds of things from friendship bracelets to bathing suits. The strangest thing they sell, however, are massages. There are always women walking around and asking "vuoi un massagio?" which means "do you want a massage?" Seems like a good idea in theory, but then again, who wants a massage on the beach in front of all the people who are crowded in around you? Best thing they sell on the beach: granita. It is kinda like shaved ice. I love waiting to hear the tinkle of the granita bell as the man pulls up to my section of the beach with his granita cart in tow! Time to get out my 2 euros and get a refreshing granita. Definitely a great way to beat the heat!
Strange things have happened in Rome recently...well they are not that strange.
1. My blonde haired friend, Chelsea, and I got asked if we were Chinese at the markets in San Giovanni. Yep, clearly we are Chinese.
2. Today I ate mexican food at a restaurant that did not put cheese on its tacos, did not seem to have tortilla chips on the menu, and for sure did not have margaritas on the menu. Italians do not do Mexican like we do in the US.
3. My parents visited (blog post to come sometime in the future. Possible the distant future seeing how I have still not posted about my sister's visit over 2 months ago.) This means now 4 out of the 5 snows have spent time in Rome. I guess this is not strange.
4. I am officially coming back to America. This is perhaps the strangest of all. It is going to be so weird to be back in the States. I know many of you thought I might make Rome my permanent residence. There was a time I thought this would be true as well. Hopefully, one day in the not so distant future (perhaps sooner than I write those blog posts), I will make Rome my permanent home. As for now though, I get back to America on Wednesday, September 19th. I can hardly believe it! In 3 and a half short months, I will touch American soil (well pavement probably) for the first time in over 365 days. Life is crazy. Strange even...
5. In other news, here is the list I gave my Mom today containing what I would like to have for my first American meal.
Get ready.
It might be a little long, and, as is the theme of this post, a little strange.
- Cheese dip and tortilla chips
- Spicy Chicken Sandwich from Chick-fil-a on a whole wheat bun with cheese and extra pickles.
- Lemonade from Chick-fil-a
- Lime margarita on ice with salt
- A greek salad from Zoe's
- Homemade Carrot Cake
- Skinny vanilla latte from Starbucks
- Cheese Its
New favorite thing...picnics! As soon as spring descended on Rome, picnics became an essential part of my Roman life. Whether it is the middle of the afternoon on a tuesday and you have gelato on the hill by the Colosseum, or you pack a huge picnic lunch with friends and head out to the Appia Antica to celebrate Pasquetta with a picnic, eating outside is the way to go in Rome in the spring.
Here are some of the highlights from some picnic adventures!
Can't wait for all the picnics to come this spring and summer!
Who is ready to picnic with me back in Birmingham??
A year ago, I was trying to decide if I was totally crazy to quit my jobs and move to Italy.
A year ago, I was hanging out with these fun people.
Miss you guys!
I remember exactly where I was on this day last year. My roommates and I huddled into my bathroom/closet with the dog and watched James Spann as we waited for the tornado that had devastated Tuscaloosa to come our way. We watched the debris fall from the sky, as the tornado skipped us and instead hit other parts of Birmingham. Those small towns and neighborhoods lumped into the area "North or West Birmingham" were more than just that to the three of us. One of my old roommates is a nurse at a hospital near there, the other is a teacher at a school right near the Pratt City and Forestdale areas, and I led worship at a small church near McDonald Chapel, Pleasant Grove, and Concord.
I will never forget going into Concord only two days after the tornadoes hit. The pastor of the church where I attended and his wife lived on the main street of Concord that was literally leveled by the tornadoes. The images I saw there, and then a week later in Pratt City, are forever imprinted in my mind. What used to be a quaint street with stores and homes looked a like a set from a movie meant to depict the aftermath of a nuclear war. There were army tanks and soldiers in uniforms carrying machine guns manning check points around the damaged areas. I will never forget seeing the markings on the homes that let rescuers know if bodies had been found inside or if the house was clear. I will never forget the sickening sound of dogs barking because that meant they may have found another body. I will never forget the strength and faith I saw in the eyes of people who had literally lost everything. I will never forget the sweet old lady I met near Pratt City who told us all about her house (which had been destroyed by the tornado), and how she had built it with her husband over forty years ago.
This was her house a week after the tornado hit.
I will never forget how she took our hands with tears in hers eyes and ask us if she could pray for us. It should have been the other way around. I will never forget being at church the sunday after it happened. Everyone there had been touched in some way by the tornado whether it was the death of a friend, family member, or losing a home. The church still did not have power, but I will never forget the worship that morning as people wept and worshiped the God who gives and takes away.
The day of and the days following the tornado taught me a lot about God's character, specifically his mercy, his sovereignty, and his goodness. Now, a year later, I am continuing to learn these lessons, just in different ways. If you had asked me a year ago if I honestly believed I would be in Rome the next year, I would have laughed. Yet, here I am. God has plans that I literally do not have the capacity to comprehend.
Who knows what this next year will bring, but I do know one thing for sure: God is faithful.
I am realizing that I am not a thankful person. I would really like to become more thankful, even for the small things. Some of the simple things in life I just take for granted, like they will always be there.
That being said, here are a list of things I did not realize I was thankful for before I came to Italy.
In no particular order....
1. Ice
2. Brown Sugar
3. Pure Vanilla Extract
4. Raw or Steamed vegetables not cooked in oil or loaded down with salt
5. Target and Walmart
6. My car
7. How cheap both gas and milk are (I know, we think these things are expensive in the States. Not true.)
8. Clothes Dryers
9. Whole Grain Bread
10. Traffic Laws
Now, also in no particular order, here are the things I am thankful for in Italy...
1. Public Transportation
2. Mozzarella di Bufala
3. Being able to walk everywhere
4. 1 million different types of pasta
5. 1 euro bottles of wine
6. The 3 parks that are less than 5 minutes from my apartment
7. No added hormones in dairy products or meat
8. Gelato
9. Gladiator festivals in the park
10. Street markets
New life goal: do not take things for granted. always say thank you and mean it.
God moves in a mysterious way... Yeah okay, we all say that. Whenever something happens that we cannot understand, whether it is something wonderful or something difficult, we say something "like God's ways are so different than ours", "God's plan is different than ours, or "His timetable is different." Of course all these things are true, but at least for me, when these words come out of mouth, I don't always truly believe them, and I definitely do not believe that this plan is for my good.
I have been feeling this a lot lately, you know, wandering what God is up to (and at times demanding an explanation instead of simply trusting him). Sometimes you come to a place in your life, and you stand there, looking around, wandering what God is doing. You are not where you want to be in your life, and the future means either jumping off a cliff or climbing up a mountain, and both of those seem a little scary. Times like these are frustrating, emotional, and often cause me to doubt God's sovereignty, but it is those times where God is pruning us and making us more like Christ. We might not be able to understand what is going on, but we should never doubt God's mercy during these times.
Appropriately enough, one of my favorite hymns speaks to times like these. William Cowper wrote the words to "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" over two hundred years ago, and he was certainly no stranger to the heartache and struggles that life can bring. You can read his story in John Piper's book The Hidden Smile of God. However, in the midst of what seemed like "a frowning providence," Cowper somehow was able to trust that God's smile was not too far away.
I first learned this song about four years ago on Summer Beach Project. My friend Matt Francisco wrote a new melody to Cowper's old words, and this song suddenly became a wonderful part of my life. I have listened to and sung this song at least a hundred times, and every time I do, I can hear God's promises breathing hope into my weary soul.
God
moves in a mysterious way
His
wonders to perform;
He
plants His footsteps in the sea
And
rides upon the storm.
Deep
in unfathomable mines
Of
never failing skill
He
treasures up His bright designs
And
works His sov’reign will.
Ye
fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The
clouds ye so much dread
Are
big with mercy and shall break
In
blessings on your head.
Judge
not the Lord by feeble sense,
But
trust Him for His grace;
Behind
a frowning providence
He
hides a smiling face.
His
purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding
every hour;
The
bud may have a bitter taste,
But
sweet will be the flow’r.
Blind
unbelief is sure to err
And
scan His work in vain;
God
is His own interpreter,
And
He will make it plain.
Matt wrote a bridge to the song that goes like this:
Every wrong shall be made right,
As our faith gives way to sight.
Every tear shall be wiped away,
As the night gives way to day.
Those last lines are the smiling face of God. The promise that one day, we will be able to see Him face to face. There in His presence, all earthly trials will fade away, and we will taste the sweetness of an eternity with Him.
Matt and I had the opportunity to record this song a few years back, and I am so thankful that I can listen to it, be reminded of God's promises, and praise him for his good, gracious, and sovereign will.
If you would like a copy of our recording, you can get it here an Amazon for only $0.99! Or, you can search either Matt or I on itunes and find it there! I hope it will change your life as much as it has changed mine, and that it will be an encouragement to you no matter what you are walking through.
Having visitors over here is always so much fun! This past weekend, I have gotten the chance to hang out with Lauren Bidez, a friend from Samford. She and I were both in Phi Mu there. Like me, she had the revelation that she need a break from real life, and she is now taking the next three months to back pack through Europe! I think this is sooooooo cool. She has already had a ton of fun adventures, and many more to come. Check out her blog here to see her trek through Europe!
It was really fun to show her around the city and to catch up on how life has been the past few years! I took her to the Jewish Ghetto because I was pretty sure I remembered there being a quatrefoil in the center of one of the piazzas there. I was right!
We got a nice Italian lady to snap a pic for us to send into the Aglaia!
The other day a friend and I decided to venture out to a part of Rome we had not been to yet. We decided on Piazza Bologna for several reasons.
1. We had heard it is pretty.
2. They have really good arancini there. Arancini is basically a fried ball of rice with something like mozarella in the middle of it. They are pretty much amazing. This is a really popular thing in Naples, and the best ones are without a doubt found there, but apparently you could find some of the best ones in Rome in Piazza Bologna.
3. We really did not have anything else to do. Okay that is not true, we had lots to do, but decided that Thursday was a good day for Piazza Bologna.
We wandered around the Piazza and the streets that are all around it. We walked past cafes and pizzerias hoping to find one that caught our eye. Finally, we walked past this one Bar that looked like it had pastries, coffee, arancini, and pizza. Pretty much your one stop shop for yummy food. This place also had this...
I know what you are thinking....the picture quality is terrible, and wait a second, is that Barak Obama eating one of those cakes? Well you are right; both of those things are true. Here is a closer look at the sign for "Pasticciotti Obama."
There Barak is, waving and encouraging us to spend 1.50 euros on these little chocolate cakes. Now my friend and I were utterly bewildered as to why Barak Obama's face was on these cakes. I mean, this was not a particularly touristy area. So we asked one of the guys working there why our President's face was on cake, all the while figuring we would get some kind of political critic on America or something.
Wrong.
So.
Wrong.
The guy's response to our question, I kid you not, was "because the cakes are the color of his skin." My jaw dropped to the ground, and I said, "are you kidding." And he looked at me and said "no, it's true." After that we did not really feel it was appropriate to eat at that bakery. In fact, we ran away about as quickly as we possibly could. No doubt definitely one of the strangest, and most inappropriate experiences I have had in Italy, and one I will not soon forget.
Sorry I have been so absent from blogging in the past two months! The last few months have been crazy, busy, and fun, and I am just now getting to sit down and tell you guys all about them! Between having a 102 degree fever for 9 days, going to Switzerland, my sister visiting, our trip to Paris, and just living normal life, things have been really busy!
But, I am back! I plan on doing detailed posts on the major events, but until then please enjoy this brief list of updates!
1. Giulio speaks! That's right; Giulio has started talking...okay that is not totally true. He has started to say a few words, and guess what his third word was! "Ball" Not "palla" which is the Italian word for "ball," but the English word! I was so excited!! Now whenever we go to the park and he sees other kids playing soccer, he runs around screaming "ball" at the top of his lungs. Of course, this is a bit weird to the other kids because he really should be saying "palla." Oh well!! I am very proud!
2. I have been in Italy for 7 months! I really cannot believe that I have been here that long! It feels like just yesterday I was packing my three gigantic suitcases and leaving for what seemed at the time like a crazy adventure. Now this adventure (though still crazy sometimes) is just normal life! I will be here for about 4 1/2 to 5 more months, and I am going to be so very sad to leave. My prayer now is that one day God will bring me right back to Italy for a longer period of time! I mean I have thrown several coins into the Trevi Fountain! Although, apparently I do not have a picture of me doing so! God has definitely been growing my heart for Europe since I have been here, and I would love if he would bring me here again to do ministry!
3. I went to the opera!! It was amazing! For Natale (a.k.a Christmas) Alberto and Lilli gave me two tickets to see Madame Butterfly at the Teatro Dell'Opera here in Rome. Both the theater and the opera where beautiful! This will definitely not be the only opera I ever see! I felt so cultured even though I had no idea what they were saying! I did not feel so badly about that since my friend Cristina, who came with me and is Italian, also could not really understand what they were saying!
4. I celebrated my first Carnevale! Carnevale is basically the halloween of Italy. It takes place right around the time of Mardi Gras. And let me tell you, people go all out! I did not have a costume, but I did get to see some pretty amazing ones! My friends and I celebrated at this cool place called Circolo degli Artisti (5 euros to the non-Italian speaking person who pronounces this correctly and 2 euros if you can tell me what it means) and we saw a group of Native Americans, milk cartons, witches, animals, and all kinds of great costumes!
5. I baked chocolate chip cookies for the family, and let's just say we ate 4 dozen of them in one day. Apparently they were good.
6. Most of the time the family thinks I am crazy when I eat "American" things. I still cannot convince the girls that banana and nutella taste good together. However, Cecilia did say that when she comes to America she will try pizza from Pizza Hut. Baby steps, people, baby steps.
7. I introduced the girls to Raffi! Do you guys remember him? He was the guy that sang all those wonderful children's songs when I was a kid! Now, they wander around the apartment singing "Down By the Bay." Cecilia also learned all the words to "Popular" from Wicked. She can sing the entire song, and I have to say I am pretty proud of her. Our musical repertoire now consists of the songs from The Sound of Music, the songs from Mamma Mia, "Little Bunny Foo Foo", "Popular" and "Down By the Bay." We should probably put on a concert.
8. We have watched this video from Yo Gabba Gabba about 100 times...Hopefully it will stick, and Giulio will never bite his friends!
9. My sister came to visit!! (Her visit will get its own post soon!) While she was here we went to see The Hunger Games in English, in Paris! It was awesome!
10. Lilli made homemade Tiramisu, and it was so delicious! I ate way too much of it! Come to think of it, I eat way to much in general here! The food is just so good!
These last few months in Rome have been great, but the homesickness has finally started to kick in. I miss my friends and family, and I hate missing out on what is going on in their lives! I could also really go for some Mexican food, wouldn't mind getting to dry my clothes in a dryer, and as summer is drawing closer, the thought of not having air conditioning in the apartment is making me start to sweat, but besides those things, I could stay in Rome forever. Considering the fact that I don't have a job back in the States, that does not sounds like such a bad idea!
Most of you probably know that I LOVE SNOW! You know how some people get mad and frustrated with snow cause it means that schools are closed, you can't go to work, or traffic is bad. Well, I am NOT one of those people. I love it when I do not have to go to school or work, and I do not care that the traffic is bad because all I want to do is play in the snow. That being said, you can not even imagine how excited I was today when it started snowing in Rome. This apparently never happens, but it did, and while I was here as a witness! Not only that, but it is supposed to snow all night and all day tomorrow!!
Here are a few pictures from the beautiful snow!
Okay so maybe this is mostly slush, but still really amazing!
This is the view from our balcony.
The view from Capitol Hill.
The Vatican
Okay, so maybe the last two pictures I stole off of facebook, but how cool are all of these! If you want to check out some more pictures, go to this website: http://www.corriere.it/. This is one of the Italian Newspaper sites, and they have some pretty amazing pictures of the snow!
Now to pray that we get even more tonight so the girls and I can make snow angels tomorrow!
A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends invited me to tag along with her, her cousin, and his kids on a trip to Umbria. I, of course, said yes, and was so glad I did. It was a great break from au pair life even if it was just for a weekend.
We spent the weekend visiting a few little towns in the province of Italy called Umbria.
The first town we visited was a small town nestled in the rolling hills. It is called Todi. This town is tiny and so very different from Rome. We ate a great lunch there at this local place that did not even have menus!
Here are a few Todi pictures...
On the way up the feniculare. This is a cool elevator/lift thing that helps you get up the hill into the town!
Yeah, that is the city...soooooo cool! Oh and those are the two kids I spent the weekend with. They are hilarious!
We then made our way to Perugia which was about 40 minutes or so from Todi. Just in case you are thinking to yourself, "Perugia, that sounds familiar" it probably does. Perugia is where Amanda Knox (you know the girl who was convicted and then unconvicted of killing here roommate) lived when she was in Italy. Despite this rather unfortunate publicity, Perugia is so beautiful! Like Todi it sits up on a hill, and the city has built these cool outdoor escalators. With these you can get from the bottom of the city to the top which is where the historic center is located. From the top you can see some amazing views of the countryside!
This really nice street artist let the kids help him out with his drawing. They loved it!
Perugia is also really famous for chocolate. If you have ever had a Bacci (a type of Italian chocolate candy) it comes from Perugia. Of course we had to get some really yummy cioccolato caldo which is much different form our American hot chocolate. It is so stinking good!
Can we please talk about how beautiful Italy is!!
Our final stop on our trip was the absolutely beautiful city of Assisi. This is now perhaps my favorite place in Italy (other than Rome). It looks just like old Italy looks in the movies. It is also super clean which is refreshing and has a lot of great history!
One day I will live here...so quaint!
One of my favorite meals I have had since I have been here!!
I told you it was amazing!! I will definitely be going there again!
This was such a great weekend and I am glad I got to go see a different part of Italy! It was also such a nice weekend to be away with such a fun family and some pretty hilarious children!
