Reliving Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve day was amazing. We took our time getting ready and got up a little later because we were preparing for the late night and long day ahead. When we finally left the apartment we headed to the metro and the Vatican where we had been the night before.
We made our tour of the Vatican museum. The Catholic Church is considered a culture or people group and they have enormous wealth. The museum had statues and famous paintings. You could tell if they were created before the pope of modesty or after by the tactfully placed fig leaf. I think it was more distracting than doing its job. I love art museums
We saved the best for last. The Sistine chapel. Make an in awe face and you will know what it felt like to walk in. Have you been there? It is worth it! I love that I can appreciate the art and the huge sacrifice and effort it took to paint that ceiling. What a legacy that Michelangelo left. It also helped that I have knowledge of the Bible to fully understand the panels and sequence. I love that it wasn’t perfect.

The museum closed in preparation as we were finishing. It was setting up the anticipation of the night for me. We stopped at a little restaurant and ate a big lunch {at 3pm} to be used as lunch and dinner. After our meal we rounded the corner and found the line for the Christmas Eve Mass. It was already quite long and it was about 4.15pm when we got in line.
Throughout the in line process we made friends with the Canadian couple behind us and the English couple behind them. And then there was an American couple behind them that had taught at the Danish Institute. In front of us were a mother and two daughters from Poland. The daughters were so sweet and talked with us about their schooling system and how excited that they were to be here for this service. In front of them was a group of the men of the cloth. We met the family and couple in front of them as well. We made lots of friends!

This networking turned out to be crucial for us getting into the building as a unit. So many people cut in line. The nuns and the older people are the worst. I hope that I do not ever feel that I am entitled to something in that way. It is amazing to me that people who call themselves Christians {and yes they claim that they are Christians, they were asked} would be willing to cheat and lie to get into the basilica for mass.

During the line process we ate snacks and switched off to go the bathroom and changed clothes. We had quite the system going on. And then it was time 4.5 hours later to be like herded cattle going through the gates to get through security and hopefully {although it seemed highly likely by our place in line} to make it to seats in the basilica.

We made it and had good seats. We sat next to our new polish friends and could see the Pope as he floated down the aisle {no, he was not a bride, but I realized it sounded like that}. The entire service I could see the Pope and his address was done so well. He had people of many nations read passages from the bible. There was French, English, Portuguese, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, Spanish and few others. The basilica was lit up even more brightly than the day before. Half the service was sung by the choir in Latin. It’s amazing how close the Latin and Italian are so I could understand most of the service.After the service ended it was already officially Christmas in Italy! We walked home through Rome’s streets and got to see all kinds of fun lights hung through the main part of town. It was a late night but what an experience!
What is something that you would give up Christmas with your family to have the opportunity to do or experience? Would you give up Christmas?

*There are no pics of me because they were taken on my friend's camera. She also has a closer picture of the Pope that I will share with you when I can.

Shell Shocked

So Rome day 2 is coming. With the lovely epic Christmas Eve service story. But this is just to tell you that I am still here. I am thinking in blogging terms as I go through my day.
This week I have been going to classes, making a new schedule and seeing old friends. My first day of school I think I had every emotion. But in a way it didn’t even matter. It was a good day. I’m still settling in and having some culture shock.
The cars are bigger, the houses and buildings shorter and everyone speaks English. I know it’s crazy that people would generally speak English!
Those are just a few of the things I think of when I ride the bus or walk down the street.

I made my first homemade cappuccino today. There were multiples. They were a hit with the roomies.

Getting Back into Writing

It’s been a little bit of a break. I hope you all don’t mind. My plan is to keep writing. I’m back in the States, but life is a little different now. I hope that you will stick around as there will always be everyday adventures.
The next few days are busy. I, like most school children around here, start school on January 3rd. Hello more school! So hang in here with me as a) we recap on Rome, b) talk about the journey to my home in the states, and c) a few observations of the first few days here. Let’s begin.
Roma. There is a feel to Rome that I wasn’t expecting that took me by surprise. It still has the Italian slow down and enjoy life mentality but it’s mixed with the fast pace of city life. Vespas screech around corners, fountains appear throughout the walk to the next destination, and little hole in the wall shops are the norm aside from the big chain retailers.

I arrived on a train where I was not guaranteed a seat {oh and they are assigned on long rides like these ones} and every stop, every door to the car I was looking over my shoulder to make sure I didn’t have to move. Thankfully I didn’t. There were people everywhere in the train station and McDonalds was the popular spot. I waited for the friends I was meeting up with and ended having a pleasant conversation with a woman from Torino! What are the odds?! And yes, it was all in Italian.
After meeting up we headed to the metro and were greeted by gypsies who were most unhelpful. {Unfortunately this fits with the stereotype that they are known for} We made it to our little flat, and it was on a piazza that had a fountain. It was the best way to present Rome. My friend Megan and I had a gelato snack while Brenda had lasagna at a restaurant at the foot of the building.
We rested up and settled in and then it was off to the Vatican to pick up tickets for Christmas Eve mass. We went in circles around the Vatican trying to find the “bronze door”. We didn’t follow our directions very well and then the door was hidden. We got in and I got my ticket! I felt like Willie Wonka and the golden ticket.

Since we were there we figured we should have a look inside and hopefully we wouldn’t be as surprised or overwhelmed the next evening. That building is such a work of art! We headed back to the flat and went in search of dinner. We found a pizza place where you order by piece or get your choice of pasta. While waiting to order and pay I met two guys that live down the street. Neither of them is Italian, one was teaching English and the other gave English tours at the Vatican museum.

The people in Rome are friendly. I mean part of it is that half of them make money off of tourism and the people. The others though are just willing to help. It’s a little different than Torino.

Next I’ll talk about the Christmas Eve Vatican experience.