9:01 a.m.

So I definitely woke up on the RIGHT side of the bed this morning! The sun is out and the sky is blue. Today looks like it will be amazing. Yesterday, I had a wonderful afternoon taking a run in beautiful weather. Then I went downtown and did the window shopping thing. I did buy two French dresses for 13 euro. AMAZING DEAL. And now, hopefully, I will look a little more "French" when I walk down the street. I did a lot of window shopping because the weather was perfect for it!

I have gotten back into the swing of school and I love Grenoble more now, than before I went to Italy. I think it has something to do with the fact that I was exposed to a culture that didn't utter a word of a language that I knew. At least with French, I can understand what people are saying!

I want to go skiing next Saturday. A couple of friends and I (who aren't as skilled at skiing) are planning to go to one of the more "family friendly" ski resorts so we don't kill ourselves in the French Alps. I cannot wait!

This weather has me excited. I've decided I'm going for a walk in the park by my house, going downtown to grab a panini for lunch, and going to spend as much of the day as possible in the fresh air. HOORAY!

1:58 p.m.

So the day didn't turn out as beautiful as I would have hoped, but at least I got in a good run. Then at 4, I am meeting up with my friend Hannah to plan our Barcelona, Spain trip over Easter. :)

Italy Feb. 11-Feb. 21

I just got back from Italy last night and I am beat. I was in Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Pisa, Siena, Venice, and Milan in a total of 10 days. I saw so many wonderful things...because I saw so much. I think it would be easiest to use list form.

Rome:

1. The Colosseum-which was much bigger that I imagined! I couldn't believe a civilization that existed 2,000 years ago would have the technology or engineering skills to build it.

2. The Roman Forum/Palatine Hill-An amazing sight! You see columns, and the ruins of the main part of the city for the Romans. It was a little eerie, because when you think about it, the Romans who used this area probably never imagined in the future that their city would have such an impact. Here, the pre-Romans founded a thatched-hut shantytown in 753 B.C.

3.The Arch of Constantine-A gorgeous and intricate arch that was erected to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge in A.D. 315.

4. Monument of Vittorio Emmanuele II

5. Michelangelo's Piazza di Campidoglio

6. The Pantheon-Erected 2,000 years ago, it is still a mystery how this temple was built. It is a perfect half-sphere made of poured concrete without the support of vaults, archs, or ribs, making it the largest of its kind. The light that enters the roof was used as a sundial to indicate the passing of the hours and the dates of equinoxes and solstices.

7. Bernini's Trevi Fountain-my favorite part of Rome, besides the Colosseum and Roman Forum! This fountain emerges from the back wall of Palazzo Poli.

8. Castel Sant' Angelo/Bernini's Ponte Sant' Angelo-Built by Hadrian (AD 117-138) as a mausoleum for himself and his family, this mass of brick and stone has served as a fortress, prison, and palace. When the city was wracked with the plague in 590, Pope Greogory the Great saw an angel sheathing his sword at the top of the complex; the plague abated soon after, and the edifice was rededicated to the angel.

9. Rome's Pyramid

10. Appian Way-Since burial inside the city wall was forbidden during the ancient times, fashionable Romans made their final resting places along the Appian Way.

11. Villa di Massenzio-The most random ruins that we stumbled across. It was near the Appian Way and there were large towers, bridges, and a castle like structure.

12. Piazza del Popolo/Obelisk of Pharaoh Ramses II-Was once the most popular place for public executions. The obelisk in the center is 3,200 years old, which Augustus brought back from Egypt as a souvenir.

13. Spanish Steps

Vatican City:

1. Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums-The Sistine Chapel has served as the chamber in which the College of Cardinals elects new popes. Michelangelo's ceiling depicts different stories from Genesis. "The Last Judgement" fills the alter wall. Interesting facts: Michelangelo did not paint the Sistine Chapel flat on his back, but standing up and craning his head backwards. He never recovered from the strain to his neck and eyes. Also, in "The Last Judgement," Michelangelo painted a self portrait of himself. He is portrayed as a flayed human skin that hangs symbolically between the realms of heaven and hell.

2. St. Peter's Square-Above the collonade leading to the basilica are 140 statues. The obelisk in the center is complimented with two fountains on either side.

3. St. Peter's Basilica-The basilica sits on the tomb of St. Peter and above are the statues of Jesus, John the Baptist, and 11 apostles (not Peter...he has his own statue in the front of the basilica). Michelangelo's "Pietà and Arnolfo di Cambio's "Peter" are both within the basilica.

4. Pope Tombs-In rooms underneath the basilica are the tombs of all the popes (minus the ones on display within the basilica).

Siena:

1. Piazza del Campo/Fonte Gaia-A shell-shaped brick square that was designed for civic event. At the top of the square, the fountain is still fed by the same aqueducts used in the 1300s. At the bottom of the Piazza is the Torre del Mandia bell tower.

2. Duomo in Siena

Pisa:

1. The Leaning Tower of Pisa-Constructed in 1173, the tower began to tilt because the soil beneath it suddenly shifted. The tower is presently considered stable after a 15 (?) year stabilization effort.

Florence:

1. The Duomo-Santa Maria del Fiore-In 1296 the city fathers commissioned Arnolfo di Cambio to erect a cathedral so magnificent that it would be "impossible to make it either better or more beautiful with the industry and power of man." The people of my group-Jenn, Eva, Laura, and Ricky plus me, climbed the 463 steps to the top of the dome to get an amazing view of Florence.

2. The Uffizi Museum-houses Bottecelli's "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera", and a DaVinci painting called "Adoration of the Magi", Michelangelo's "Holy Family with the Infant St. John the Baptist", Raphael's "Madonna of the Goldfinch", Titian's "The Venus of Urbino", and Caravaggio's "Medusa."

3. Boboli Gardens-A beautiful garden full of geometrically shaped hedges, cypress and holly trees, bubbling fountains, and marble statues.

4. Ponte Vecchio-oldest bridge in Florence that has survived since the 1300s and the bombing during the wars.

5. Museum Accedemia with Michelangelo's "David-the most gorgeous man in the world. A truly amazing piece of artwork.

Venice:

1. St. Mark's Basilica, Square, and Bell Tower-Basilica di San Marco (Saint Mark) has gold mosaics all over the marble walls. It was built in the 9th century to house the remains of St. Mark. The Tower was built on a foundation of Roman ruins and in a 1902 restoration project, completely collapsed into a pile of bricks. It was rebuilt in 1912.

2. Rialto Bridge-Named after Rivo Alto, the first colony built in Venice. It was originally built of wood, but after its collapse in the 1500s, the new structure was built.

3. Titian's and Canova's Tomb in Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari-Began construction in 1340, the church has two painting by Titian and his remains lie within the walls. Also, Canova, the sculptor's, tomb is across from Titian's. The giant pyramid tomb is almost as big as Titian's monument. This church also had an alter of relics. VERY CREEPY. Old hands, fingers, teeth, etc. kept in glass jar like things. So weird!

4. Doge's Palace which housed "The Rape of Europa" by Veronese and "Mars and Neptune" by Sansovino-Once the home of Venice's "doge" (mayor), the palace now holds tons of art and beautiful rooms. "Mars and Neptune" flank the Stairs of the Giants, which was where the new doges were crowned. The Golden Staircase leads to the Senate rooms and The Bridge of Sighs leads to the prisons on the lower levels. Casanova walked across this bridge to his term in the prisons.

5. Gondola Ride/Grand Canal- A wonderful 40 minute ride through the canals of Venice. Only 80 euro (split 5 ways was 16 euro/person...not bad!)

Milan:

1. The Duomo-One of the largest churches in the world. Construction began in 1386 and ended under Napoleon's command in 1809. The cathedral has more than 3400 statues, 135 spires, and 96 gargoyles. This cathedral also claims to house the relic of one of the nails that pierced Jesus' hand on the cross.

2. Teatro Alla Scala-Theater of Snails-Helped Milan to claim the "Opera Capitol of the World." The acoustics are said to be the best in the world, comparable to New York's Metropolitan, and one other (sorry, I don't remember!) There is a museum inside that shows the theater's rich history.

3. Castello Sforzesco-Castle and fortress that was constructed in 1368 as a defense against Vencie. It was used as a horse stall, army barrack, and storage house before it was turned into a DaVinci studio. It is surrounded by the canal for a moat and the reconstruction of the drawbridges leading to the interior courtyard.

4. Chiesa (Church) di Santa Maria Della Grazie which is home to DaVinci's "The Last Supper" in the Vinciano Refectory- I didn't go into the actual church, but just the refectory to see "The Last Supper." It was amazing, and HUGE. Our tour guide informed us that originally, the painting was not protected from anything because it was exposed to the sun, snow, rain, etc. The painting actually faded within the first 30 years. Then once a room was built around it, it was bombed in WWII and is a miracle it survived, as the ceiling, and walls next to the painting were almost completely demolished. This painting is one of the most famous in all the world because of the symbolic interpretations one can take from the "moment" of which it was painted. Oh, and it isn't an actually oil or acrylic painting, but more similar to a fresco, which surprised me!

I am most likely missing a few things...but here is the majority of it! I took some of the information from "Let's Go Europe 2005 Travel Guide"

11:53 p.m.

I have been so busy with school and life in general! I love it! I am leaving for Lyon in two days and then on Thursday morning, I will be in Rome, Italy. I can't believe it! I still have to plan all the things I am going to do while I am in Italy, in addition to homework, and packing. Also, I booked my flight to Barcelona, Spain, in April. I feel extremely lucky to have this experience. In Italy, I am planning on going to Rome, Florence, Siena, Pisa, Venice, Verona, and Milan, in the time span of 10 days. It is going to be rough, but I want to see everything I can while I am over here! :)

Lyon, France

3:36 p.m.

What a weekend! Thursday through Saturday night wiped me out completely! I went out on Thursday night and went dancing and drinking. It was a great time! It was so strange though, the music the bars played was mostly American music. I guess our Beyonce and Lady Gaga are popular in France as well.

On Saturday morning, I took the train with eleven other people from my group. We went to Lyon, France. I didn't really know what was in Lyon but once we got there, I found it to be an amazing city. Vieux Lyon (or Old Lyon) was the part of the city we went to. My favorite part of the trip was going to le basilique Notre-Dame by funicular (and inclined railway), The Notre-Dame basilique was a HUGE basilica that had breathtaking architechture and art inside. The colors and the intricate design made me believe that God really had to have had a part in building it, because there is no way that human beings could have made something so beautiful. I had a spiritual moment while inside, and it is something I will never forget. Also, the Amphithéâtres Gallo-Romain were ruins of an old Roman theatre. It was amazing to think about the time in which it was built, roughly 2-50 A.D. My group and I had an amazing time taking pictures and goofing off here. What was amazing to me was the idea that there had been over 2,000 years of history that has passed since the huge stone theatre was built. The link between the times is astonishing when you imagine what it would have looked like then, and then to see how the ruins look now.

I explored le Musée des Beaux-Arts (Museum of Fine Arts) and saw paintings by Monet, artifacts that dated back to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Paintings from the 10th century to the present day were displayed. I was in shock to see the detail that artists used in the past, and the color. It was so refreshing to see art that was so different from our time. Looking at the actual paintings is so much more rewarding then when you see them in a book. I was amazed at the size of many of the paintings; some covered entire walls, while others were no bigger than a textbook.

We rode the Ferris Wheel at Place Bellecour once it became dark outside. The lights in the city were beautiful. The buildings were illuminated in colors and the view of the city was spectacular; even in the dark, it was painted in color. By the end of the day, I was exhausted from all of the walking! The train ride home lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, and the minute my head hit my pillow when I got home, I was out cold.