no pictures.

Soo it seems like awhile ago but I definitely need to update all of you. We'll see how much I can remember...

Monday I spent the day in Tolo - it's a tiny little town so I just walked around, took some pictures and relaxed by the beach. I had a balcony with my room that looked out over the beach & my hotel was like right on the beach so I could sit at tables and look at the beach so I drank some coffee and read. So Monday was super relaxing. Tuesday I got up and went to Nafplio. I loved it! It was perfect weather so I just walked around the entire day. Literally. I left my hotel at 945 and didn't get back until 730 that night. It was amazing. Nafplio is just a cute little town - I people-watched, shopped around, sat in the different squares, read up on the history, and walked along the water. It was such a great day, very relaxing as well. And I finally tried the drink that I saw everyone in Greece drinking - all the people all the time - its a NesCafe Frappe. So now if you go to Greece you know what to drink, haha. But it's just like an instant coffee frappuccino - not that exciting at all. But it was wonderful. I got a couple souvenirs, of course, so that was great.

Then Wednesday was the rough day. I got my wake up call at 540 (haha, mom I suggested a wake up call) then took a taxi to Nafplio and rode the bus for a couple hours to Athens. Then at the bus station I bought a ticket to the Athens airport. I'm glad I left super early because I don't think I could've waited for the next bus (they leave every hour). But I got to the airport in plenty of time & just hung out and got on the computer. One of the flights to Rome was delayed like 4 hours - from noon to 430 but mine left at 210 so that was fine. But I just hung out and ate some lunch and went into the terminal. I sat there and looked through my pictures on my camera and tried to look through my Nafplio book that said the real names of everything so I could remember. Then I got to Rome around 3. BUT my bag didn't come - I was trying to be optimistic but I waited about an hour & it hadn't come so I went and filled out the papers and the ladies that work there are so dumb so it was somewhat difficult. But I gave them Jess's number and they said they'd call. Then I had to ride the train around because I couldn't remember the right stop - I thought I knew but I was wrong. So I finally made it to the right one and met up with Jess. But by the time I met up with her we needed to be heading to dinner because we were meeting up with Kelly & her boyfriend, Patrick. So I still had my big bag that I had bought, with my laptop in it (which I ended up ripping the bag because it shouldn't have been holding a computer) and another little bag. Then we went to this place Jess wanted to try that supposedly is known for good wine & cheese. So we got a meat & cheese thing that was really good & then I had my first Italian pasta. It was really good. However, we were talking about where we had been - Kelly & Patrick had been in Rome since Monday) and I wanted to show them my pictures. And I guess my camera fell out of my bag on the plane. I was so upset because I knew it had to be there and I really wanted it for Rome. But whatever. I called Alitalia, the Rome airport, and e-mailed the Greece airport. I'm still working on a way to call the Greece numbers they gave me. I just really want my Greek pictures back - I'm sorry if I don't find my camera but I really want to show all those pictures. And I'll take some pictures from Jess and my other friend Claire if I can't find my camera.

So then that night I met Jess's roommates and we went out with them and Jess and I got to skype some people from Tulsa so that was exciting. She has fast internet in her apartment so it makes it easier.

The next morning I woke up and worked on getting my bag back which was difficult, and just hung around the apartment with Jess. Then we had lunch at her favorite pizza place - you can eat so cheap here! And then I walked to her class with her. Then while she was in class I went and wandered around by the Colosseum for a little bit then came back to her apartment to meet her. That night Jess cooked dinner for me which was delicious and we just relaxed. Then we went and saw Trevi Fountain & ate at her favorite gelato place - Gelatisi or something, and it was so good! Then by the time we got back it was like 1230 so we went to bed.

Friday we woke up and I got my bag back. They brought it around 1030 which was exciting. And then we went to Jess's favorite park to run for a little bit. Then we showered and went towards the Vatican. On our way we had a very Italian thing - Soupli. It was delicious so that was fun to try. And people walk around eating all the time - very unlike San Sebastian - so we definitely fit in. Then we walked around the Vatican which was pretty cool to see. And then we went to a very Italian area called Trastevere. It is like narrow cobblestone streets and you can easily get lost in it because they all looked the same. But we walked around until dinner, which we had to have early cause we were going to see the Pope. So after dinner we walked back to Jess's apartment, grabbed jackets and went to the Colosseum. The Pope was processing down a main street and ending at the Colosseum to do the Stations of the Cross (Jess is Catholic so she was pretty excited about Easter in Rome). So we went there & listened to him talk with about a million other people & watched this little thing. There I met up with my friend Claire who I worked at camp with. After that Jess & I went to this really popular area called Campo and hung out there for most of the night. We met up with two people Jess knew that were studying in Vienna with her boyfriend (my friend, Hugh) and she had met before. So we hung out with them a little.

Saturday I woke up early to go tour the Colosseum with Claire & her friends. I loved the Colosseum - it was so cool & I read the history in one of her friend's travel books which was super interesting. Then we went and met up with Jess & had lunch - Jess & I got super cheap sandwiches at one of her favorite little places and then walked around the Pantheon. After that Jess and I headed back to her apartment. She was going to mass with the Pope at the Vatican and had to wait in line for like 4 hours. So I just hung around her apartment - we're trying to plan a little day trip to take so I worked on that. But I went to the grocery store because we wanted to cook a little Easter meal and everything is closed on Easter. Then I met Claire at the Colosseum & she came back to Jess's apartment with me to borrow some clothes because her bag got stolen off her bus on her way here & she had hardly any clothes. But I was exhausted and just stayed at Jess's apartment, sleeping, skyping, and looking at stuff for our trip.

Today Jess & I got up around 10. She told me all about Mass with the Pope which sounded soo crazy - a huge group of people fighting & running to get in. Just a big ordeal. But pretty cool. Then we ate our egg that we had bought. The big thing in Rome, or maybe all of Italy, is these big hollow eggs that come with a prize inside. Jess doesn't like chocolate so we got white chocolate & it had Winnie the Pooh on the outside. Also, she gave up peanut butter for lent so she wanted to have some peanut butter. So we broke open our egg this morning, which had a winnie the pooh harmonica (i think harmonica) and she had some peanut butter. Then we went & met Claire to say bye and get my clothes back. Also, Jess's big - Lizzie - had been to Rome not very long ago & ate at this restaurant and wanted us to go back and meet the guys - so Jess had a picture and the guys' names. Then we came back here & cooked our gnocchi for our easter meal - which was really good. Now we're just relaxing & going to see the Spanish steps tonight cause I still haven't done that.

We're working on planning our trip though. We want to do this bike trip through Lucca which sounds amazing because its Tuscany so its beautiful but we don't know if we'll be able to or not. Also, we want to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa & Montepulciano (where they're going to film part of the next twilight!). It's not super expensive either - train tickets can be like 15euros which is very doable. And then Tuesday night I'll be in Florence with my friend Kyle until Thursday or Friday - which I still don't have a plan after that, haha.

But hopefully I can still get my camera back - I have to find a phone to use to call Greece.

Happy Easter!

Love, Jill