463 Stairs aka First day in Florence

   Yesterday morning we caught the fast train down up to Florence. I LOVE Florence and the feel and atmosphere of the town. It is absolutely beautiful here. You see buildings, mountains, green grass, green trees, it is beautiful!!! We dropped our luggage off at the hotel and then caught the bus to the center of Florence. Our first stop was lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe :) unlimited refills and ice (heaven). The next stop was the Duomo, this gigantic church in the middle of the piazza, the inside was gorgeous and I love stain glass windows. The Cathedrals here have strict dress clothes, your shoulders have to be covered as well as your knees. Luckily we knew this before hand so I was dressed appropriately, while others were not and had to wear these pieces of tissue paper fabric that had a hole to put your head through so your shoulders were covered or they had to wrap it around their waist. Dad decided that we needed to get to the top of it so we could see Florence. My first thought was no I am good on the ground but I lost that battle. So 463 steps later dripping with sweat, red face and breathing ridiculously hard we made it. I will have to say it was well worth the stairs because the view was AMAZING!!!!!! Absolutely breath taking, you could see all of Florence and then some. We stayed up there for a long time before making the journey down the same flights of stairs we climbed.
   After the stair climb we got a gelato and rested our tired legs and then went shopping.  After lots of shopping we caught the bus back to our hotel. Mom did a fantastic job picking the hotel!!!!!!!!!!! I had a big bed and there was space to move around and spread out and the bathroom was big.  Later that night we went down stairs and asked for a place to eat, they circled on the map where to go. It is safe to say that I am not the best at map reading, have 30 minutes of walking and a big circle we found the restuaruant HAHAHA. It was really straight down the road from the hotel. Ooops dinner was delicious and after dinner we found a super market. I have been looking for once since we got to Italy. It was just like the one in Spain and I felt at home. We were able to get a few items and then we journeyed back to our hotel. Where I was able to get an amazing night sleep. WOOOHOOO.

Dinner on the Roof

   Wednesday night dad had a social to go to and we were invited. The place was called Savoi, beautiful restaurant and the best part was it was on the roof of the building so you could see a lot of Rome from there. The view was amazing!!! We got up to the top and were offered little finger foods, I was only brave enough to try to two things, these little bite size pizza and some other little pastry hahaha. The guest mingled with one another both in Italian and also in English. I meet the people that are a part of dad's team as well as an Italian two star General who was really nice and was glad that mom and I attended and also ventured out without dad. Everyone was pretty impressed with how much we have seen in so little time. Well that is the Thurgood way leave the hotel in the morning and you don't see it again until night fall.
   While everyone was talking I was able to get some pictures. I need to figure out my camera a little more but I think the pictures were pretty. We were then seated at tables for dinner. My parents sat with the General while I sat with my dads team. They were a blast and I am glad I was able to sit with them. I laughed so hard it felt great. The food was very interesting. The first dish was  tomato, eggplant, pepper thing, I ate a few bites of it. (At the time I thought it was squash not eggplant) The second dish was pasta with pesto and tentacles from some type of sea creature. I had a few bites so it wouldn't seem rude. The third course was some fish thing which I didn't eat at all. Ewwwwwwww while mom was served steak they forgot about their daughter who doesn't like fish or seafood so I ate my roll and the guy next to me offered his roll hahaha. Then finally the dessert came and it is safe to say that I ate every piece of it lol. It was a sweet custard like thing with powder sugar and fresh berried. Overall the evening was amazing and I am so blessed to have this experience!!!

Rome at Night

   This was by far the best night and best tour yet!!!! Rome looks completely different at night and is absolutely gorgeous and just takes your breath away. Yesterday we toured the Pantheon which was really neat, the floor is incredible with solid marble and gorgeous. It makes our buildings look not so pretty.
   So our first tour started at the Spanish steps which was really pretty and then we walked all through the town both on busy streets and down little streets. It was amazing to see how the light of the sun changes the way the building looks. Our tour guide was absolutely amazing!!!! He had so much passion and was able to explain things good, he is from the States but has lived here the last 8 years. The pace also changes from daytime to night. During the day everyone rushes around room place to place and then at night everyone just walks slowly enjoying each other and the surroundings. At night it is more of a family atmosphere people eating dinner or enjoying wine... for us it is the gelato (ice cream).  It was also really neat to see the Forum at night, the ruins look a little bit different as well, maybe it is easier to picture it better at night because you see just the ruins and not the new buildings.

 The last thing I really  liked tonight was being able to see their tomb of the unknown soldiers. During the day you cannot see it as well because the streets are crowded with people but at night they close the area off and this is what you get to look at. I thought it was very peaceful to look at. The flames that you see in the picture burn continuously and those two soldiers guard that area (they do switch out every few hours). I love how Italy has respect for all of those that came before them, you see buildings named after people and fountains and piazzas throughout the town that you know has some story to go with it, it just wasn't placed randomly.

Vatican and Ancient Rome

   Oh my where to begin!!! Lets start with we have walked all over Rome and back :) luckily for the most part the weather has not been too bad, there has been a breeze and it feels really good when you stand or sit in the shade. The Vatican was our first tour of the trip and we did that Saturday afternoon after we arrived in Italy. It was a really interesting tour with a great tour guide. We had these little earphone in one ear and we could hear her talk which was really nice because we didn't have to crowd together to try to listen to her explain things.... The Vatican is a very beautiful building and on the inside it is breath taking to see history right before your eyes.  We saw statues, paintings, mosaics, and tapestry. (Sorry on the spelling).  It was really just a humbling experience to walk in the hallways and in the chapels. We saw the Sistine Chapel which was really awww inspiring. First they make sure that your shoulders and kness are covered as a sign of respect and they also make sure that there are no cameras or phone being used inside. You walk and your jaw just drops and hits the ground. I cannot believe that he painted this on his back for years. It was as if you just walked right into history, Dad showed me the sides that are both of Jesus and Moses.  And then from there we moved onto the other Chapel were they hold Mass and where the Pope comes out onto the Balcony, it was really awesome! Dad was describing the movie Angel and Demons or something like that and how they helicopter landed in front, he was happy to see that. It was really crowded there but it was neat to see and experience.
  
    Sunday 23 June-  Ancient Rome- I definitely should have paid attention better in both high school and college. I didn't really remember anything about it. The tour was FOREVER, okay so really it was 5 1/2 hours and covered about 7.50miles which is about 18,534 steps (thanks fit bit). The tour guide was not as good this time but she still made things interesting. I learned a lot of interesting stuff and some I cannot share on here but see where the original Christmas ball ornament came from. According to the tour guide it came from here. I think it was really neat to walk in the Colosseum or the Flavian Amphitheater, which ever you would like to call it. It was hard to picture the events that happened in there because of the stuff but it was still very interesting.
   An interesting fact about Rome is that the city is built on top of a city so it is preserved. Also they build around ruins and back then they actually would take apart ancient things to make other buildings.

When in Rome do what the Romans do

    The plane ride over was not as bad as i expected, i didn't get to sleep but i watch a few movies and walked circles in the plane hahaha. Mom tried to sleep but half way through her sleeping i woke her up so i could get up and stretch because i had a leg cramp! HAHA Bless her heart. The airport reminds me a lot of Spain, the not knowing where everything is located and also everything being in a different language. All of our luggage showed up WOOHOOO. As the driver took us from the airport to our hotel, it reminded me of my first time on the roads of Spain and how chaotic everything is, i do believe that i would be an awesome driver here. I drive fast, don't stay in my own lane and seldom use a blinker unless there is a car behind me :)
    Our hotel looks nice, we didn't get to see the room because they are not ready till 2 so we dropped off our luggage and are now waiting for our first tour. Today's agenda (it is saturday 11:58am here) is a 3.5 tour of the Vatican. I think it will be very interesting. The parents decided it would be a great idea to do a tour on our first day here, that way we can stay awake and be totally exhausted by the time we are suppose to go to bed here. LOL while i am typing this both parents are asleep on the USO couch where we wait for the tour guide to come get us. HAHAHA. I hope that there is wireless at the hotel that way i can download the pictures day by day so there will be less to look at and it will be easier to keep up and understand. 
   I miss Spain very much and hope one day to go back. I think that opportunity will help me here since i already understand Euros and how to act. I walk the streets like I own them, and cross the street like no ones business. Dad continues to say Hi to everyone, so everyone keeps asking him for money or if we want a tour. LOL he is a mess. I have seen a few nuns woohoo so maybe there will be a chance to see a monk or two.  I do hope that i get some awesome sleep tonight :) and a shower off would be amazing... Not too much a girl can ask for right? Well off to the tour i will update later. Ciao!

Fish, Jelyfish, Reefs Oh My

    I did my first ocean wreck/reef dive today!! It was so incredibly amazing. It is crazy how different our world is compared to the world under the sea. On the boat it was rough and a little hot, but once you got in the water and about 10 feet down the seas are calmer and the water feels amazing on your skin and face.
    Our first dive was the Red Sea Tugboat that was sunk in 2009 to become an artificial reef and was about 50-60 feet deep. The wild life was amazing and beautiful. Coming up to the boat there was a group of barracudas, it is safe to say I tucked all limbs in and look like a ball in the ocean. I was able to get amazing pictures.

   Our second dive was a sunken bridge and there was a lot more of a variety of wild life but the current was a lot stronger and we had to hold onto the bridges not to get taken away. We stayed down probably about 30 minutes each time.  This is my first dive since my surgery and it went amazing, there was no problems and I was able to equalize often as needed. I absolutely love diving and I can't wait to do it again!!

New Adventures on the way!!!!

       I decided to start up this page again to keep everyone updated on the new adventures coming up in my life!! The first one starts this weekend with the scuba dive of the Red Sea Tugboat that has sunk off the coast of Panama city. I am excited for the dive and pretty nervous as well, it is a large ocean with things that can bite or sting :).
      My next adventure is a trip to Italy in a week or so and I am really excited for this. I have made a list of all the movies I need to watch before the trip and so far so good on watching them. I hope to be able to take tons of pictures through all of this. I love visiting different cultures so this is be a great adventure.
      And finally my last adventure of moving into my own apartment. At first I was nervous and scared thinking what the heck did I get myself into but now I am starting to get really excited for a new chapter in the book of life. I move in August 6 and even though it is a month and so away I am starting to organize and go through thing in my room that way I can have a smooth move to my place and also that my apartment can start off organized. I am excited to make a place my own and not be crammed in a room. I know it won't always be roses but I can hope I will love every minute of it and not be worried about being alone. 

Well here is a glimpse of what is going to happen this summer!! let the fun times begin!