Highlights from the trip

Everything is already running into each other. My sister JoAnne asked about seeing the Pantheon and I couldn't remember which one that was. (the one with the hole in the ceiling, oh yeah, that one). John has a blog and he's a wonderful writer so I'll just link to his trip diary and let him do all the work.*
I took a million pictures and I'm hoping to make a slide show on one of the photo hosting sites in a couple days. I had to buy two new memory cards while I was over there- one in London and a 2gb in Rome!
I just want to make a list of some of the most memorable moments- both good and bad-

• Number one highlight was just seeing my sweet boy again- I'm so glad I was able to see where he's living , meet his roommates and friends and see , firsthand, how very capable and independent he's become. Do I sound like a proud mother?
  
• The tour to Stonehenge, Lacock and the surrounding countryside was just wonderful. We met the tour in Bath- so we went early to walk around. Maybe because it was early in the trip and I wasn't so over the whole walking thing yet- but, this day was the most perfect sightseeing day for me. I think I may just be a country girl at heart.
• Rome- the only city we went to that I feel I have to go back and see more of. "This place is lousy with old stuff." Walking and climbing around the ruins right next to the Coliseum was surreal. In a stunning display of poor decision making, I wore my flip flops for this part of the trip. My feet just didn't want to go back in my sneakers after two days of walking. Sandals just felt right- like Caesar wore or Mark Antony. Not really good climbing shoes though. " The dust of Rome covers my feet." Doesn't that sound more romantic than my feet are flippin' filthy? Still, it worked out pretty okay until we got to the Trevi Fountain. I don't know what kind of footwear would've helped me stay upright on wet marble- maybe something with suction cups? Certainly not flip flops. The Trevi fountain was beautiful. We got there at dusk and sat and stayed for a while as night fell- magic. Of course we threw our coins in so we will be sure to return.
• I preferred the hostel in Rome to the hostel in Paris. The one in Rome was just so homey and friendly. There were four sets of bunkbeds in our room. A very nice Australian and myself were the only girls in the room. The other bunks were full of boys from all over.I was by far the oldest person there. Everyone was so interested in where we had been and what our plans were. Tuesday night I sat in the lounge area and watched Miami Ink with several young people. The hostel in Paris was nice also but not as homey. Our room there had only two sets of bunk beds and it's own bathroom. I learned that when you arrive late to the hostel expect to be stuck with a top bunk. Probably the only thing funnier than watching me climb into a top bunk is watching me try to get down. John kept telling me just to jump and it wasn't so far but it looked pretty far from where I was sitting.
• It was so exciting to hear the Pope speak but the Vatican Museum was depressing to me. So much gold and splendor- I kept thinking how they should sell most of this stuff and feed the poor .You know- that whole vow of poverty thing. Also there was a gift shop in every other room where you could buy Rosaries ( expect to pay extra if you want the ones with the Papal Blessing). Johnno really wanted to go in and the Sistine Chapel was pretty cool but very crowded and we weren't allowed to take pictures.
• The food- this is getting too long so I think I'll make the food into it's own post- but OMG! Gelato, Pastries, Pizza, Meat Pies,Toad in the Hole, Crepes, Donner Kabobs.........
• Then there were the "Shake it off" moments. A bird crapped on my hand at Stonehenge-that's good luck! I thought I saw an eyeball in the hole in the ceiling over the shower at the hostel- probably just my imagination. Getting passed on a hill by a German tour group who were all over 80 years old, while I have to stop every ten yards and gasp for breath- they must be part mountain goat! We stop to sign a petition for a gypsy mother/daughter team in Rome and the Mother scams Johnno out of ten euro while the little girl pokes me in the boob with her pen- "shake it off". Really we were mostly able to just laugh off anything - I think we traveled well together.
  

*link to Johnno's Blog
DISCLAIMER: this is the blog of a college age boy- you can pretty much get a beer buzz just from reading it. Do not read this blog and operate heavy machinery or drive a car.