Under the Tuscan Sun

Hello all,

Well it's been a while since I posted, and I am struggling to remember all the great things that have happened since then! There are always so many updates I want to tell you all, but I forget some many details and would be sitting here all day if I told you all of them.

So...last week, my roommates Leah and Laurie-Anne and I decided to go find the English movie theater. Well what a beautiful theater is was. It must have been an old opera house converted into a movie theater. The seats were plush and the most comfortable things I have ever sat in. It was incredibly beautiful. WE saw Mama Mia, which I have already seen, but love soo much. Anyways..it was really fun.

On Friday we watched the movie Under the Tuscan sun, in preparation of visiting Cortona the next day (where the movie was filmed). On saturday, my roommates and I piled onto the train in the morning and took the hour ride to Cortona. It was incredibly beautiful. We basically just walked through the town (which is very small and all enclosed in walls). First of all, when we got up there (we took a bus up very windy, hilly roads). It was so wonderful because the air was incredibly fresh and clean, and felt so great to finally be able to breathe! We went around and bascially just enjoyed the beauty that we were in. It was so wonderful, because they had pupmkins and it felt like fall. The air was so crisp and smelled so wonderful. I had a juicy apple that tasted like it had been picked fresh off the tree! We walked around town and went to the Duomo, and also saw the oldest buildings in Italy. It was really fun. We stopped at the market, and I bought a rasta braclet, and some Christmas presents for the family (so get excited!). It was a really great day!!

ON sunday, Leah and I went to Church across the bridge. We went to the Church of England, which was similar to a Catholic service, but had some differences. It was really nice, because they had a social afterwards and we went and chatted with some people. Then Leah's professor, who was there, took us to a local bakery, which was delicious. We had some pizza, and then walked around a little outside fair that had antiques. It was really fun! I spent the rest of the day working on homework.

This week, I haven't done much except for studying. I am going to Rome this weekend, to meet my friend Justin (who is studying in London). We will be staying with my friend Billy for the weekend. So since we will be there all weekend, I had to study for mid-terms this week! So ahh, hopefully I will get everything done that I need to before I leave for tomorrow.

Today, I went out with my friend Michael. I met him in the dance club a few weeks after we had been here. He is from Eritrea, which is right above Ethopia in Africa. His name is Michael, and is a really nice guy. He has been in Italy for about 7 years, and speaks Italian and English. WE went out to coffee a few weeks ago, and had a nice conversation. Today, I met him in the center and we came back to my apartment and had a really good conversation. It was amazing ot talk to him, because he explained to me about the wars in Africa and the military and all the things that were going on over there. It was amazing to hear all these stories and to learn about a culture that has interested me so deeply, but to know and befriend someone from there and learn from a person first hand about his experiences is amazing. I am so glad that we have become friends, and to be able to talk so deeply with someone about their faith, culture, politics (ours and his), and deep issue affecting the world.

Tomorrow I will be heading to Rome, and will be visiting the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, etc. etc. Hopefully all of it! I am really looking forward to it, and will update as soon as my midterms are done!

Until then, remember I love posts and mail/email!!! Hope to hear from you all soon!