I go to rome every twice in a while.

Rome revisited was good. The Trevi Fountain works.
I did more things this time around. Put a lot of miles on my cheap American shoes.
I met my sister and her husband on the Spanish Steps. A very romantic place to arrange a meeting. They took lots of pictures of me and I felt embarrassed.
We saw a whole bunch of old junk...including the Pope. The pope was far away and very tiny. John took a nice paparazzi type shot of him.
The Vatican and the Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel were disappointments. Cool, but not very Holy or Sacred at all. The Sistine Chapel was crowded and noisy and you couldn't really enjoy it for what it was. I find sacredness in humbler places. Like in this tiny, ornate crypt at the graveyard.
I guess I don't understand the world of popes, etc.
I put my hand in the mouth of truth, and nothing happened...so I guess that goes to show what bunk that's about. But I really liked the chapel of the church where the mouth of truth is. It's rustic and small and kind of mis-matched and old. They have real candles there instead of flickering LED lights. Not that I know much about lighting candles either. It seemed more real than St. Peters, and the guy that worked there seemed just like a normal man, and didn't have to wear any unusual collars.
There was a lot of piazza sitting and coffee drinking. Good talks and some jokes.
My friends who are living there at the moment are lovely and warm and funny. I learn a lot from both of them.
Benny had his thesis show up. It was great. I liked it. He does some cool things. His paintings make me like him more. I don't like to gush about people's work, really. I don't know if much is accomplished by gushing. I could be wrong about that, I have certainly spent plenty of time gushing...
...i need to think about that some more before I have a final stance on gushing.
I just know that I felt weird when Aunt Kitty gushed over me. Maybe I have become uncomfortable with it.
On friday night we sat in the cold to see a band, it ended up being a MLK Jr. memorial. Initially, it was kind of boring, but then the band played. The Orchestra de something-something. Lots of people from lots of countries. It was kind of hippy-mom music, but so good. People got into it. We packed snacks.
I went back to the place that had the delightful cappuccino last time, but it wasn't as good this time around. Still better than what you find most places, but not perfect. I was much busier.
I have come to dislike tour groups (very much).
I sat next to a nun on the trip back to Berlin. I wondered if she ever missed snuggling. God isn't much of a cuddler, you know?
I gave some Greeks bad instructions on how to get to their hotel.
Chad has left us. Now it's just me and ben...for two days until the parade of visitors start.
I am NOT going o NYC. I am miserable about this...but it was a luxury, and a girl can't ask the cosmos for too much.
The marathon is running right outside my apartment as I type. Drums all morning.