Rome

November 28 - 30: ROME

The Famous Terminal 3 at Madrid Barajas Airport

First meal in Italy: PIZZA!

Coliseum! It was amazing... we were lost and turned the corner and... BAM! There it was!


Inside the Coliseum. I have a funny story about this day...

Raining cats and dogs at the Roman Forum

Roman Forum

Roman Forum

Friends: Daniel, Carlos, Stacie, Russell, Brian (L-R)

Beautiful Clouds



Roman Forum

Strange birds formation in the sky.

OMG. Trevi Fountain!!



Beautiful. Check out me making a wish in the fountain here. And yes, I actually did ask if it made it in.

Mmm... Delicous spinach and ricotta ravioli with Italian bread!

Vatican

St. Peter's Square and the Vatican: A lifelong dream come true!

Pieta by Michaelangelo

These grates were amazing: Under the floor of St. Peter's Basilica, there were seminarians singing! We could hear it as we walked through the basilica.

View from the very, very top.



On top of St. Peter's Coppla





Swiss Guard




Vatican Museum











School of Athens! I have had this painting in my college dorm room as a poster for three years!

Sistine Chapel









Pantheon

Italian Pastry and Espresso

Raphael's Tomb inside the Pantheon

Pantheon

This Christmas tree made us all very homesick!

The next day (Sunday), I returned to the Vatican for Mass and Pope Benedict XVI's Sunday address at noon.

A hidden statue near the rear of the Vatican: St. Josemaria Escriva

Gorgeous canopy over the main alter.

Pope Benedict XVI!!

So excited about the Pope that I could not manage to brush the hair out of my eyes!


Museo Capitoline





Beautiful Venus

Wounded Slave