Catching Up

These past two weeks have been filled with great memories. After I left my mom in London, I met Andy in the Rome airport. I was spoiled getting to see both of them back-to-back.

Andy had to put up with my long class days so he explored Ariccia alone some days. But we took many afternoon trips into Rome. We took a bike tour around the city, saw a Roma soccer game, visited the Vatican City, and explored neighborhoods in Rome. I am so thankful he came in town, and I wasn't ready for him to leave at the end of the week. 

Here's a few pictures of our week... 

This week we left the classroom completely, and went to Florence. I loved this city. It was smaller than and cleaner (if I'm being honest) than Rome. The food was amazing. And so was the leather market. If I lived there this semester, I would be broke. I also saw Michael Angelo's "David" statue and the "Birth of Venus" painting. All very exciting!

On Thursday afternoon, I left with a few friends for Cinque Terre. This place is amazing. It has been warm and lovely. We have spent the past two days hiking from each town. The hikes have been treacherous at times because of the many stairs leading up and down the hillsides. But once I pause and look around I cannot help but admire the beauty. I have been in awe of God's creation. There have been many "wow" moments over and over again.

Here are some snapshots...

Unfortunately, we leave our cute beach town tomorrow and head back to school. I only have a few weeks left in Italy, which means our classes and homework are picking up.

I am trying to soak up these last few weeks in Italy. This has been an experience of a lifetime but I'm not finished yet! Next weekend I travel to Madrid to see a dear friend, the following weekend I will be in Positano and Capri, and then I will finally be retiring to the US.

Highlights of Spring Break

Tonight is my last in London, which means it is where my spring break ends. I leave my mom tomorrow as she heads back to the States and I return to Italy.

This week has been incredible! I have seen so many places that I have always wanted to see. Mom came in town last Thursday. I showed her around Ariccia and Rome before we departed on our grand adventures!

We started in Nice, France. The French Rivera is as picturesque as I imagined it to be! We then went to Paris. I was thankful for a second opportunity to explore this city! We ended our journey in London, which may have been my favorite leg of the trip.

Highlights of Nice:

-The Fluer Market: Rows of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. All fresh and smelling good. 

-Drive down the French Rivera to see Monaco and the other towns. The shore and mountain views were incredible.

-We rented a car, which proved to be extremely dangerous. Mom driving in Europe was a totally new experience (and one that I don't think I want to have again). 

-Sunday brunch at a cute cafe

{During our ride down the French Rivera}

{Enjoying the beach}

Highlights of Paris:

-Bike tour to see and learn about all the sites-- my last visit I only looked and did not know the history. It was great to be filled in on all the details!

-Dinner at a tiny restaurant. There were max 7 tables in a very small venue with an open kitchen. This meant we became best friends with the (quirky) couple sitting next to us. But it was all apart of the experience, and the food was delicious! 

-Hiking the Eiffel Tower. Last visit, we could not go up because of an unexpected hail storm (seriously, it came out of the blue). So we enjoyed seeing the views.

{Bike Tour}

{Eiffel Tower}

Highlights of London:

-I've always been fascinated by the royal family so seeing Buckingham and Kensington Palace were amazing. {Side note: the inside museum part of Kensington is weird/ not worth the fee. Plus I could not sneak around to find William and Kate, so if you visit just look from the outside.}

-We walked all through Hyde Park on the first day. It was beautiful and relaxing!

-I really enjoyed the some of the American touches in London. I am starting to miss some of America's comforts (and Italy has next to none). So I really enjoyed Starbucks, Chipotle, and everyone speaking English more than ever. 

-Seeing the Westminster Abbey

-One of my favorite moments of the whole trip was experiencing High Afternoon Tea at Fortnum and Mason. I could really get use to that part of British culture!

-Riding the London Eye at sunset, which was a great way to end our stay in the city!

{High Afternoon Tea}

{View from the London Eye}

I am sad our adventure is coming to a close! It has been an amazing trip with my mom, and one I will always remember. I head back to Rome tomorrow but thankfully I have a fun visitor coming!

{Thank you Mom for this wonderful trip, and for being an even better traveling companion}

Checking In

I hate that I have not updated in a while! I will hopefully add pictures soon from my weekend trip to Tuscany. It was an amazing weekend full of rest, good food and beautiful scenery.

Our spring break starts tomorrow, and my mom came in town today! I showed her around our little town and tomorrow we will spend the day in Rome. This week we will head to Nice, Paris, and London... So many adventures ahead!

I will make sure to add lots of pictures! I am so excited to explore Europe more-- especially with my mom!

I wanted to share a quick quote from my devotional book. I have been praying this over my week...

"There are very few people who realize what God would make of them 

if they abandoned themselves into his hands,

 and let themselves be formed by his grace."

{St. Ignatius}