Saturday in Rome

Another day in Rome!
We started the day with a tour of the Catacombs.

 Pictures were not allowed underground but, we took pictures around the land.

Our tour for the Forum and Colosseum started at 3 pm. 

It felt great taking our time. 

Before the Catacombs, we were on the bus for at least an hour not knowing where we were...

Below are pictures from our tour of the Forum and the Colosseum. 

Romans did not burry bodies in the city because they thought the dead were "impure." However, Christians did not think the same way. Instead, they would burry bodies within the walls, as seen above.

The buildings have holes because the holes were left from the mounted marble. All buildings were covered in marble; there would have been no bricks exposed. 

Above is an original street. 

Below is where Julius Caesar's ashes were located. His body was burned within the city so, there were disagreements. Many thought Caesar was a god so, he could not be impure. Others thought different. Since there were disagreements, the new emperor had a building built around his ashes to keep the people happy with him.

It's hard to imagine the city as it once was 2,000 ago. The buildings were once covered in marble and in lots of color.  

Heading to the Colosseum with our tour guide. 

The colosseum had four levels of seating. In order, there were senators, gladiators, middle class, and last, women. Women sat far away because they were considered less important and, they loved gladiators. 

There are holes in the structure because people would dig out the valuable metal from inside. 

We arrived back in beautiful Barcelona and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon!  

Friday in Rome

What did I want to do when I first arrived in Rome? I wanted to eat real, Italian food.
Since our plane was scheduled to depart at 6:20 am, we woke up at 4:30 am to meet our taxi for the airport.

We finally arrived in Rome around 8:00 am on Friday; we had a full day ahead of us!

By the time we found our hostels, unloaded our backpacks, and found our tour destination for 1 pm,
we were hungry! Below is Evan, Nichole and I with our first, real Italian pizzas!

My first bite.   

While in Rome, I was able to experience Italian cappuccinos, pizzas, ice cream, lasagna, pasta, and ravioli. Below is a picture of me with a delicious plate of (fresh from the kitchen) lasagna! So good.

     

Eating before our tour through the Roman Forum and Colosseum Saturday. 

 Below are pictures of our tour. We saw the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. 

The Vatican

Statues of Michelangelo (left) and Raphael (right). 

I recognized Laocoon and His Sons from my college history class. 

The story goes that Laocoon was a priest. 

He was famous for warning the Trojans of the wooden, Trojan Horse. 

This horse was presented to the city by the Greeks. 

The Trojans disregarded Laocoon's advice so, Laocoon threw his spear at the horse in anger. 

Poseidon (who was supporting the Greeks) sent his sea-serpents to strangle Laocoon and his two sons. 

Below is the famous painting of Plato and Aristotle.

Below is the famous sculpture of Michelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's. 

The sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary in grief as she holds Christ in her arms. 

In front of St. Peter's Basilica

The pope was nowhere to be found. 

After touring the Vatican Museum for 3 hours, we grabbed ice cream at a place recommended by a local. I savored every bit of my chocolate and cookie ice cream! 

After eating dinner and walking around the streets, we saw the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. 

School and Afternoon Travel

Lately, I have been playing a game of "I spy" with the kids--they love it. In this game, not only do the kids practice their colors but, they also practice speaking "I" instead of "Mi."

Below is a picture of the boys on the playground. They liked the camera...

Alex, Nicolas, and Jordi.

After school, our families took us to see Casa Batllo and La Pedrera. 

Infront of La Pedrera. 

La Pedrera

Casa Batllo

Casa Batllo

The streets are filled with beautiful architecture!... Even the street lights. 

This Friday, we're leaving for a weekend trip to Rome! 

Sightseeing and Relaxing

My first weekend in Barcelona! Sofia, Alvaro and I stayed up late friday night practicing english and playing a classic game of hangman. Our day of walking around Barcelona today started late.
Below is a picture of Alvaro wearing my sunglasses. We were on our way to "La Rambla" in the taxi.

Below is Barcelona's most famous market, "Mercat de la Boqueria." It is one of Europe's largest food markets, with a countless array of fruit, meat, and sweets.

Most popular meat is pork; especially, leg. Look how expensive! 

Again, Barcelona has really tasty fruit! 

Me, Laura, Alvaro, and Sofia drinking strawberry/banana and mango drinks. 

Below are pictures around the well know statue of Christopher Columbus pointing to America.

Christopher Columbus in the background. 

Me, Sofia, and Alvaro posing around the monument of Christopher Columbus. 

Sofia, Me, and Alvaro with the Mediterranean in the background. 

Beautiful city! 

Below are pictures outside of Barcelona close to Mr. Carlo's parents home, Sant Andreu de Llavaneres.

Water of the Mediterranean Sea!  

Carlos and I with Alvaro and Sofia in the background.

Carlos, Alvaro, Me, Laura, and Sofia. 

Sweet family!
Tomorrow, I will be going to Iglesia de Cristo in Barcelona!