Heading back....for a little bit.

Today is my last day in Italy. Tomorrow begins our 24 hour long journey back to the States. :)
Our flight out of San Vito is at 2:30pm; we arrive in Milan to connect to Paris, at 6:00pm. We will spend the night in Paris as our flight is not until 10am, Saturday. Our flight to Houston will be 10 hours....ugh...
But I am excited! It's hard to believe, I've been out of the country for 9 months now...Wow!
I can't wait to see all my family and as many friends as I can. I am thrilled to meet the new baby boys in the family. I will be so happy to see all my brothers and sisters - it's been a while.
Our first week will be spent in Houston as C.J. has his 4 year check up and I also have doctors' appointments.
I am excited and a little nervous about our cruise too. (On the 19th we head out of Galveston with Erick's parents for a 5 day cruise to Cozumel.) It will be the first time for EVERYBODY. I am hoping we all handle it well, especially C.J.
After we get back we will be in Brownsville for a couple of weeks and then head up to Austin the second week in February to visit my older brother and his family.
We want to make trips out to Florida and South Carolina too but we will see.
This will be a nonstop visit..
So much to do, so many people to see.
We have plans to return to Italy in April but it may be sooner, it all depends on the work. Right now we are just playing it by ear.

I have packing to finish :)

I appreciate good thoughts for our trip.

See you all soon!!
xoxo

Roma ♥

What can I say besides - AMAZING!!
So much to see, so much to do. Completely overwhelmed and on the verge of tears through every turn, I smiled from ear to ear just as soon as our plane touched down on the runway.

This has been a place I have wanted to visit my entire life - my dream come true. A place of true beauty and astonishment.
We picked a decent weekend to visit, although there was still plenty of tourists it was easy to handle and nothing insane like the summer months in Rome.
I have to say though, Rome is a very crowded city - I got a pretty decent experience from the bus ride to Metro station. The traffic was horrendous and there are buildings built entirely too close with too many people living in them.
We didn't take cabs anywhere as Rome has a train system and it is fairly easy to use. They only downside I would say is that the entrances/exits are pretty far from most places we wanted to go to. Like to our hotel for instance, from the train exit, we had to walk about 10 blocks to get there.

Our flight was early on Friday morning - 8:30am and we were in the air for less than an hour. We arrived in Rome and we were also able to check in early into our suite at the hotel.
We stayed at the Atlante Hotel just a couple of blocks down from the Vatican.Their slogan is "The best place to see Rome."

Room Key

We received great service and it was a quiet and cozy room. Truly European as you only had enough space to take 3 or 4 steps into the next room. But it had a comfortable bed and working plumbing which is all we cared about. We didn't spend much time in the suite anyway as we completely took advantage of our weekend stay in Rome.
We could not stop laughing at our room key though. A tiny regular key ridiculously attached to an overly dramatic key chain.
The staff was friendly and helpful - all-in-all made a great place to stay.

The wall that surrounds the
entire city.

After being situated, we heading straight to the Vatican to visit the museum. We picked the perfect day and time too. (On Sunday, as we headed to Mass we saw a line that wrapped around the entire Vatican wall for people trying to get into the Museum.) We had no line and very few tourists so we could spend our time leisurely.

One of the many ceilings
of the museum. 

Everything about this institution is completely astounding! We were fortunate enough to be able to take photos of so many exhibitions. I look at them almost everyday. There is so much detail and care into each and every painting, and tapestry, and sculpture - it amazes me. We followed each sign to make sure we didn't miss any of the many, many rooms in this museum  all the way down until we reached the true marvel - The Sistine Chapel.
There were signs everywhere as this is a holy place, so you are supposed to be respectful and quiet and NO PHOTOS. You also have to be dressed appropriately. Which means, no shorts and no tank tops.
I can't even describe the feeling that came over me as I stepped in this room. It is a lot colder than the other rooms and does not get much light either. There are also a multiple number of guards standing throughout.
But what can I say other than it is absolutely breathtaking! It truly is a gorgeous masterpiece.
My neck got a little sore from having to look up and keep turning my head, but it was definitely worth it.
We stood in there for a while before we started noticing more and more people coming in and getting louder. The guards were telling people to be quiet - it was getting a little annoying. You are there to admire not yammer on. Anyway, we were there for about 15 minutes before we finally exited. This is basically the last stop on the "tour" of the museum. We stopped at a gift shop before leaving and I purchased some more postcards and a magnet (we collect magnets from every place we visit). I got a postcard that actually has the Sistine Chapel on it - the only "photo" to have as my little reminder.

Dinner was held that night at The Hard Rock Cafe, a place I have not visited since my stay in Vegas with my sister earlier this year. It was bad in Vegas but it was delicious in Rome. :) We ordered the nachos and a burger and shared them between the 3 of us and C.J. also ordered some Mac & Cheese (his favorite). I completely adore this atmosphere; reminds me of my early days at Applebee's in Brownsville. The music is awesome, the staff is super friendly and chatty and everyone speaks more than one language. We had a fun night.

We woke up early on Saturday morning and had breakfast on the top floor of the hotel called Les Etoiles. For those who speak some French this is translated to: The Stars. :) Too cute! They also have an amazing roof top garden where they claim you sit, "On the top of the world." It has a great view of the Vatican!
They had a yummy buffet of coffee, juices, milk, water, fresh fruit, pastries, breads, meats and cheeses. They even included cereals and jams for toast. Just a little bit of everything for everyone. After that, we finished getting ready to head to the Colosseum. This was one of the short trips - just 2 stops away on the train. And the exit, literally right across the street. This is where I took the first photo from. This monument is magnificent! The size of it is just massive! We met a tour guide before the entrance and purchased tickets for an actual tour this time. (At the museum we just went on our own.) And boy am I glad that we did! The line to enter - goodness!!! P.S. The tours can be a little pricey but I would much rather pay for them and get inside than stand for hours in a line.
Our tour guide was an older woman who was completely enamored by C.J. She basically carried him everywhere and of course, he loved it.
There is so much history to this place and so much to learn about it; it was an hour long tour but they try and fit so much into it. I really want to get a book about the Colosseum just so I can read up on it more.
She gave us so much information - how the construction started about AD 70 and how it was covered completely in white marble, it once sat up to 50,000 people - so it is assumed; there really is no way to count or know, how it also stood as a church (there is a cross in the center that has stayed up to represent this time). She told us about the Gladiators and slaves and how the underground was where they lived and slept basically. There is very few spots where you can still find the white marble which is now found over at the Vatican. Apparently over the years, the marble was torn down from the Colosseum to be placed on the floors and walls when the Vatican was being built.
We walked around and took many photos and our tour went by very quickly. We didn't make it to the bottom as that is part of another tour but I'm told you get an eerie sense while down there. I can imagine as the many countless that have perished there. Next visit though...

We had about a half an hour break before our next tour of the Palatine Hill, basically just ruins of what was once a Roman Palace. This is supposed to be one of the most ancient parts of Rome. It was a place where many emperors lived. Our tour guide was a younger man who was a student at the local university. He had been studying all about this for years. He did a great job and was also very informative.

We headed to the Fontani di Trevi it was a good 15 minute walk from where we were but easy to get to. Tourists had already begun to settle here as we arrived. There were quite a few people standing around but we were still able to make our way to the front and do the traditional coin toss. The saying is that if you ever visit the fountain, you are supposed to stand in front with your back to it and toss a few coins into the fountain to ensure you will come back and visit. Something cute and sweet so with each having a few Euro cents in hand we tossed in our wish to return. :) We took plenty of photos and just sat and admired this beautiful landmark. The water is gorgeous and "pure" and is said to be brought in through special aqueducts.
We walked into a Chiesa right next to the fountain. We gave a donation and lit a candle to say a prayer. Just being thankful to be in such an amazing city and place.
We walked around for a good bit after, even getting a little lost along the way. Thank goodness for Iphone Maps, no? :)

Later that evening, after a nice nap, we headed to the Castel Sant'Angelo that was also just down the way from our hotel. This castle is built next to the Tiber river. The castle was closed for the night but we were able to cross around 3 bridges nearby. The main bridge to gain access to it, is known as the Ponte Sant'Angleo, and it has so many gorgeous statues of angels along the way. (It's name is derived of angels.)
My favorite statue on the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II is on the right. There is an angel standing over a group but there is a man and a woman holding a baby. I thought it was lovely.

We decided on a local restaurant for dinner that night, Pastarella. Nothing fancy just traditional Italian food - pizza and pasta. Their Sangria was absolutely delicious!

El Papa

  Our last day was saved again for the Vatican, only        this time we headed to St. Peter's Basilica. From the  moment we began planning the trip I made it  abundantly clear to Erick that I wanted to attend Mass at the Basilica.
We originally were under the impression that there were 3 Masses - one at 7am, at 9am, and at 11am. We were heading to the last Mass. We arrived about 10:30am only to find an incredibly long line because little did we know, it was a special Mass with The Pope! We had entered through a side entrance so we spoke with one of the guards and he explained what was happening. We told him we came to participate in Mass and he let us through without having to wait in the line.
I'm not sure what time exactly this Mass had started but it still went on for about another hour and a half more after we got there. We ended up sitting pretty far back but I did not care - I was just so happy to be there! It fills me with such emotion - only a true Catholic can really understand my feeling of joy about being able to participate in something this memorable. And to be able to actually see The Pope....
Mass was held in about 5 languages, if I remember correctly; we had our Mass scheduled reading to follow along. Communion was a little crazy though. When that time came the priests made their way down the center aisle and visitors just pushed to the front to receive Holy Communion. I waited until every one in our row sat down and made my way forward I was still able to receive it.
My favorite part, besides getting to see The Pope of course, was the choir. They are magnificent!!! Literally, angels singing on earth! I have never heard a choir sing as they did. It was peaceful and beautiful and uplifting all at the same time. I want to go back just to listen to them!

(We returned later that evening to get some more photos of the alter and the rest of the church.)

After Mass finally ended and they guards pushed everyone out, we walked out into a sea of people. There had to have been at least 1000 people standing outside waiting. The Pope then made a special appearance through his window.

After we made our way through everyone we headed to a different section of town to look at another fountain and another church at the Piazza Navona. This is basically a city square with 3 fountains and an Egyptian pillar in the center. The fountain that surrounds the pillar is known as the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of Four Rivers). This is supposed to represent the four rivers and the four continents where papal authority began. There was a small carnival set up with lots of fun games for the kids and tons of yummy snacks. C.J. asked for a cotton candy. He was so happy that they made it right in front of him. He was such a good kid all weekend. He walked the entire time and was so well behaved in Mass. He deserved a special treat. And this carnival was just what he needed.

We stopped at a little cupcake shop - Made Creative Bakery  on the way back to our hotel room. Super cute and so extremely delicious!

This trip was probably one of the best I have ever been on. I LOVED everything about Rome and hope for the day to return. Honestly, I wish I could live there! It truly was the experience of a lifetime. I am so grateful to have gotten this opportunity and lucky enough to have spent it with my boys.

Now like any strange city, you should always be careful of your surroundings. We were warned by a few of our friends to just be extra careful. Rome can be a dangerous place to outsiders. There are a lot of pick-pockets and people willing to steal right in front of your face. Nothing out of the ordinary for us after visiting places in Mexico. So it was fairly comfortable for us to turn people away. We had a very enjoyable experience - I am so thankful for that. But we've heard stories from other people we know who visited Rome at some point.

So for future visitors - don't talk to strangers, don't walk around dark streets, do not wear a lot of jewelry, beware of crowds (that's where most pick-pocketing happens), if someone comes up to you to show you something - a card/rope trick, or if they want to sell you something, politely say, "No, Grazie" and keep walking.

Buon giorno!!

So I know I've slacked off a little since we got here, my days seem to end so much faster than before and I don't feel like I'm doing anything much different. Anyway, so we've been here over a month, going on two basically and we've done and seen so much and yet it still feels like I haven't seen everything!There really is a tremendous amount to do here; there is so much to see.

We got to San Vito on October 14 at about 2am. After over 24 hours of traveling we were extremely exhausted! It was a very, very long trip.

Our apartment is located basically out in the country. It is quiet and trees surround us everywhere. One thing I love to watch at least once a week or every couple of weeks is the sheep and goat herders that walk through the city; Makes me smile every time.

We live on the 1^st floor and have a 3 bedroom, fully furnished apartment. Everything included is fairly modern and up-to-date. I LOVE my kitchen – lots of space to cook. And I have a gas stove!!

Another thing I am absolutely enjoying is the housekeeper. Her name is Ana and she comes once a week, on Wednesdays to clean the apartment. She dusts and wipes counters, sweeps and mops the floors, cleans the bathrooms from top to bottom, and changes our sheets. It is awesome to get a break from having to do this all the time. She is amazing!

The only downside I would have to say is the laundry room. It is located downstairs and outside kind of in a basement area. It’s not ideal when it is raining. But I am just thankful we actually have a washer and dryer so I do what I have to do.
I have a local grocery store just right across the street that is super convenient for milk and bread and any little things I may need.

Our main road

Our town is just a 10 minute walk down the road. And I walk to it almost on a daily basis. I joined a gym there and I walk to it to warm up and then jump on the treadmill when I get there. I run about 5 or 6 km (for now, working on increasing my stride), depending on the time and then walk back to the apartment as my cool down. So far, I am really enjoying our living arrangements.
One of our favorite restaurants is in town called El Vulcano. We like to go here at least once a week.

It takes about 25 minutes or so, to get to the bigger city of Brindisi. We drive here a couple times a week to head to the mall, the larger grocery store or just for dinner. There is a Chinese Restaurant we love to go to and a Seafood Restaurant found by the water.

We have a few other towns near us including Mesagne and Carovigno. We have a nice restaurant in Mesagne we like to go to and our dry cleaner is found in Carovigno.

Dinner with Mino

The food here has been delicious, of course and the wine – WOW! There is always so much to choose from. I never thought I would ever eat this much pizza or pasta in my life! Italians have BIG appetites! And also, eat very late (most restaurants do not open until 8pm and even then are barely setting up.) So if you come here, be prepared for the late hours and heavy meals. :)

One type of pizza I've really enjoyed is something I had never tried before – pizza with tuna. It is absolutely delicious and I can even find these frozen at the grocers. 

One of our first weekend trips was spent in the town of Gallipoli - about a half an hour drive from San Vito. Our friend Mike tagged along for the trip and we all had a great time. This is one of the many towns found right on the water. We were able to walk around the beach of this beautiful city and even had lunch at a restaurant surrounded by sea. 
We later stopped at a Cafe for some coffee and wine, where we sat along the edge of the cliff - literally. The water was beautiful and the day was amazing. 
This would definitely be a place to return. 



A few weekends later we headed to Ostuni, here known as La Citá Bianca. This City in White is located at the top of a hill basically and is only a 20 minute drive from where we live. It was amazing to see from a distance - all you see is the white! We were able to walk around the town for a little bit, grab some lunch, and then head back. 

We've also recently traveled to Otranto - another city found on the water. This part of Italy was just gorgeous. The water was crystal clear and just so nice to look at. We were able to walk and view the Castle here - Castello Aragonese. We also walked around the small city streets of vendors. They set up a market behind the church were you can get all kinds of really nice souvenirs. There was even a tiny carnival set up and C.J. got excited to ride a couple of them. 

Happy Birthday to Me!

Celebrating my 31st Birthday here was really a special treat as well. I was able to get together with my old friends: Mino, Stefano, and Matteo and some of my new ones as well: Luca, Antonella, Andrea, and Viviana. 
I met Mino, Stefano, and Matteo in Charleston, 4 years ago. They were working with Erick then. It's been a blessing being able to see them again after so long. They are a great group of guys. 
Luca is an Engineer who also works with Erick AND he is our landlord :) He is married to Antonella and they have a baby boy, Andrea. We've been very lucky to have this sweet little family here with us. Luca and Antonella are super helpful with everything and anything. I'm glad I've had the opportunity to know them. 







Halloween is not really celebrated here, so C.J. did not dress up. But I still did want to make the day fun for him so we watched Scary movies and cartoons all day; I made him little ghoulish treats and snacks and we decorated the apartment with some fun hand made decorations. 







Thanksgiving was also wonderful! We had a family style dinner and we all got together with our dishes at Luca's grandparents' home. Luca and his older brother, Marco deep fried a 26lb turkey! It was awesome! There was about 16 of us all together at dinner - We had an amazing meal and fun conversation with their coworkers and their families. 
I did a ton of cooking this year!
I made 2 pumpkin pies completely from scratch! Luca helped me by buying the pumpkin for me at a local market. I carved, baked, scooped and pureed. The pie was delicious. 
I also made a green bean casserole, my mother-in-law, Irma's special stuffing, and a gravy - ALL FROM SCRATCH. It was hard work but so worth it! 

All in all, I would have to say that living in Italy has been good for me. I am really enjoying myself, I'm thankful to spend it and be here with my family.