Bongiorno!

Hello all! I apologize for taking forever to write. I have been procrastinating because I know this blog is bound to be a long one. I just got back from a wonderful spring break with my mom, my real mom that is!! It might be hard to break this down, so bear with me por favor.

AIRPORTS:
Madrid-Barajas
Rome-Fiumicino
Madrid-Barajas
London-Gatwick
Madrid-Barajas

TRANSPORTATION:
Madrid-taxis,metro,buses
Rome-buses,trains
London-buses,the tube,trains

FOOD: It was good!hah

FIRST PART OF SPRING BREAK:
On Friday February 26th, Sam and I went to the Madrid airport to pick up our moms. They were a bit delayed so we waited for what seemed a life time. However, it was only about an hour. (Nothing compared to 2 months) We were worried they didn't know where to go after getting their luggage, so we wanted to run through the doors to find them ourselves, but we weren't brave enough. When they finally came through the doors we were SUPER excited! We ran through the crowd to greet them with big hugs. (My mom wanted me to give her the traditional dos besos too!ha)I knew everyone was watching, but I didn't care...my mom was finally here!! It was such a blessing that she got to come! Not soon after, reality set in. We were still in an airport and had the whole adventure still ahead. We ate lunch and said good-bye to Sam and her mom for awhile, we would soon be meeting them in Rome...So we thought.

Our first flight of many, was soon cancelled. I was so frustrated and worried. I worked so diligently to get all of the details worked out, but I soon realized I was not really in control of them. We found out, at least at the Madrid airport, they don't do as good a job as keeping you informed. It was a bit frustrating. After waiting in several long lines, the airline gave us a hotel for the night. We took a taxi to the hotel, which was a new experience in itself for me. When didn't expect the hotel to be very nice, but it was! We walked in to a huge lobby with beautiful decorations. It felt like we were already in Rome because it was decorated with roman statues and paintings! We were given free dinner and breakfast. After all that, I feel like it couldn't have worked out better. God was definitely taking care of us. We were well rested and ready for travel! According to Sam and her mom, our hostel was awful so we changed our arrangements right away.

When we got to Italy, we had to take a train to Rome. We got there in the evening and there were a lot of people at the station. (There were a lot of people everywhere) We were pretty nervous because we didn't have any place to stay for the night so we just started wandering Rome! Picture to women with a big rolly suit case and backpacks looking lost in a big city. (Not a good idea) But again, God was taking care of us! We decided to find the first nice looking hotel and walk in. When we did the concierge was very helpful. The rest of our stay he helped us book tours and find places to eat. He said his English wasn't very good, but it sounded great to me! (Especially after hearing Spanish for 2 months!) I was surprised to find at least one person in almost every store we went to could speak some English.


Since we lost a whole day in Italy, we were trying to make up for the time so we decided to do and hop on hop off bus tour. We got to ride a double decker for the first time and see a lot of ancient Rome. Our first stop was to the Coliseum and the forums. I can't believe I've actually been there now! We went inside and looked around for a long time. Every time there was a sign my mom stopped to read it, so I learned a lot more than I would have by myself. I learned that the Roman's attacked Jerusalem in 70 a.d. and the loot they got from the temple funded the Coliseum. Also, a lot of the material they used to build the Coliseum is from the temple of Jerusalem! That was so interesting to me, but at the same time it just made the Coliseum seem that much worse. I’ve heard a lot about the mob who enjoyed the entertainment at the Coliseum, but I’m sure there were a lot of people who stayed as far away from the Coliseum as they could. We also saw the ruins of the forums, where Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Brutus once visited.

In Rome we also saw Vatican City, the Fountain of Love, the Pantheon, the Fountain of Trevi, the Spanish Steps, the Catacombs, the first church that Constantine dedicated to all the persecuted Christians, the holy steps, and tons of tourists!! I learned a lot about history and it was really great to actually see all of these things that I've only read about. It would take forever to write about all of them, but I'd be happy to tell you more, just ask!

My favorite part of Rome: The Coliseum, the Catacombs, the gelado, and picturing how it was back when the apostle Paul walked there!