I was so busy during my final week of Spring Break with my parents that there wasn’t time to post any blog updates. So here is a quick summary of my final days of Spring Break.

My plane landed in Rome just 10 minutes before my parents’ plane landed and we met in baggage claim around 12:15 PM on Tuesday, March 22. Of course, my mom cried! We found a driver of a multi-passenger van and he drove all 7 of us right to the front gate of our apartment building for the same price as we would’ve paid for the Metro – with no walking and transfers!

Since my parents had not decided to come to Europe until a few weeks before, I already had plans for an apartment in Rome with my five friends, but after extensive searching, we were able to find a room for my parents on the same street as my apartment, which was great.

We got settled in the first afternoon and then went out the first night for our first authentic Italian Pizza. They have the different kinds of pizza pre-made and you tell them what size piece you want and they weigh it to determine the price. No two pieces are ever the same size! We also got our first Gelato, which is just amazing in Rome. Our apartments were only about a 15 min walk or less to the Coliseum, so we walked there to see it lit up after dark. You might say we got a little lost on the walk home or you could just say we were “touring the area”.

Our first full day in Rome started with my parents coming to my apartment for breakfast. They had real milk in Rome YEAH! and we had bought a box of Kellogg’s Frosties – Italian version of Frosted Flakes. I was so happy to have cereal and milk! My mom had also bought a loaf of fresh Italian bread and some special jelly.

As we started our walk that day to the Coliseum, we passed a huge building and took pictures across the street of it. My mom said that there seemed to be a lot of people going in it that we should go check it out. It turned out that it was one of the 4 big churches (or basilicas as they are called) in Rome – the San Giovanni. The origin of this structure goes back to the year 324. There were statues of the Apostles along the sides of the central area and there are “Holy Steps”  which they say Jesus actually walked upon.

We passed several interesting shops and little Italian places to eat along our walk to the Coliseum and just took our time and had a relaxing morning. Our first purchase was a Roma Pass – good for 3 days of Metro and buses and entrance to two main attractions plus discounts at many other sites. We used our first entrance to go inside the Coliseum. My parents had purchased a Rick Steeves European Tour Guide and my dad had downloaded audio tours to his cell phone so it was great to learn about all the things we were seeing inside.  After lunch – amazing bruschetta and pasta – we went to the Roman Forum and once again used my Dad’s downloaded walking tour guide to get details about each thing we were seeing. The tour of the Forum would not have meant much without this information. Thanks Dad!!!! We got to sit on rocks where Julius Caesar had been and see where he was burned after his death. I learned so much on this walking tour with my parents.

My mom was so excited about the “Siestas” that the Italians take each afternoon and she attempted to schedule that into our daily itinerary. So, after taking a break to rest we went out for dinner at a small restaurant just down from their apartment. It was fabulous! We had amazing Eggplant bianca and Suppli – which is a native Rome snack consisting of a ball of rice and tomato sauce around a ball of mozzarella which is soaked and dipped in breadcrumbs then deep fried. Our waiter could not speak English but he was so friendly and would greet us the rest of the week when we would pass the restaurant.

Our next day in Italy, we took the Metro to Vatican City to see where this Pope guy lives. We toured St. Peter’s Cathedral – which has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world. After that we roamed the streets of Rome, went in some shops and ate some more great Italian pasta and gelato. We hopped off the Metro to see the Spanish Steps and threw some coins in the Trevi Fountain.

The people where my parents were staying were super nice and I got to spend that night with them at the Bed and Breakfast place they were staying at because they had a vacant room for the night.

Our final day in Rome, we spent doing some shopping at a street market and also in some of the stores that were close by Via Carlo Felice. We rested a little that afternoon – my mom and her siestas!!!! Then we ventured out to Trastevere – one of the neighborhoods of Rome. We ate  a traditional full course Italian dinner – which has an appetizer,  pasta as the first course and then a meat and vegetable for the second course and dessert. We then started a Night Walk across Rome – compliments of the Rick Steeves Tour book again.  We saw many sites of Rome that we had not managed to get to during the days. Although, it was a long walk, every couple blocks was another Piazza (Plaza or Square) with different things happening and the walk didn’t seem long at all. We walked across the Ponte Sisto bridge and walked to Camp De Fiori – a neat little square with a lot of outdoor dining areas. From there our next stop was Piazza Navona – stated to be Rome’s most interesting night scene with street musicians, artists and fountains.  Yeah, the artists were in love with my mom and she was in love with their paintings!!!! After a few purchases, we continued on to the Pantheon where we stood under the 40-foot tall granite columns at the entrance. From there we walked through Piazzas Capranica and Colonna. Our Night walk took us to see the Trevi Fountain which we had already visited during daytime but it was so pretty lit up at night. Our final stop was at the Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps. From here, we took a taxi back to pack up because our flight to France was the next morning.

It felt good to return “home” to France. It truly has become my home-away-from-home. We landed and stayed the night at Toulouse. I took my parents to the town square where I had been not too long after arriving in France. We had tea and cappuccino at an outdoor café and then ate dinner in an authentic French creperie.  We had amazing crepes. For dessert, my dad’s was mint and chocolate and I had apple and caramel.

Sunday morning, we went to a brunch buffet with wonderful crepes and pastries plus fresh squeezed orange juice, eggs and meats and cheeses.  Unfortunately, not too long after breakfast, it was time to head to the train station in Toulouse and say good-bye to my parents. And yes, my mother cried again! After they put me and my friends on the train to Abli where we would meet the bus back to Ambialet for my final 4 ½ weeks of classes before I go back to America, my parents took the train to Carcassonne to explore the Castle City that I had seen in February. After two days there, they took the train on to Barcelona for a day and a half before they flew home from there.

I am now studying anatomy like crazy. I had an exam yesterday and have another one in a week. After that, I have an anatomy practical and anatomy lecture final. The final is two days before I return home, so the rest of my time in France is going to consist of studying anatomy. I also have a French final and several papers to write before coming home. It is going to be a busy couple of weeks.

As much as I am going to miss France, I am getting excited to go home and get back into an “American” daily routine. I am very excited to see all my family and friends again as well as my two furry friends at home who I know are excited to see me! I will miss Jay-Z and Shaq when I go back to the US. Having them in France really was a big help when I missed home and Macie and Sadie. I am also going to miss the weather here so much. While everyone back in PA is still experiencing snow storms, I have been laying out while studying since I have returned for break. It is just like summer here and I already have a tan!! Sorry to everyone at home that is sick and tired of snow. Just come to France and visit me!

I just went outside and took some pictures of the sunset, which was really pretty tonight. Now I am going to study anatomy for the rest of the evening. I hope everyone has a great week! Miss you all!