Sunday through my iPhone

Today was a perfect day! I woke up early and went to a tiny branch in Florence. They had about 10 members in the branch and we easily doubled their attendance. It was so neat to see how the church is the same all over the world and the same Spirit is felt. I loved it! 

On our way back into the city, Steve took us out to lunch. He knows all the little hidden spots to go and it is so dang good every time! 

I finally got to FaceTime this gem for a little bit. It was a nice treat considering we have complete opposite schedules and never have the chance to talk! 

In Florence, all people do here is walk or ride bikes. So, we rented some bikes for super cheap and rode around the city. It has definitely been a highlight of the trip! The weather was beautiful as well as the scenery.  I don't think this will be the last time I do this, it was so fun! 

I ended the day with an excellent dinner, and evening walk, and Skyping with the family. It was a perfect Sunday. 

Tidbits from this last week

I'm in Florence! I love it here but the internet connection is not that great so I haven't been able to update as much! Here is a little bit of what has been going on this week:

Monday was our last day in Rome! It was bittersweet. I loved Rome, but I was ready to see what more Italy had to offer! We hiked to the top of St. Peter's dome. It was 551 steps to the top and totally worth it. The view was awesome! On our way back, Kenzie and I stopped for the most fabulous crepes. I'm still dreaming about them.

Tuesday we woke up early to catch a train to Florence. Our group was struggling a bit trying to roll luggage on cobble stone road. Its not easy, let me tell you! 

 Florence is beautiful! We have spent the rest of the week seeing what the great city has to offer. The huge Florence cathedral is right in the middle of town and I walk by it everyday multiple times. The marble is colored and the place is so dang big, you feel like its a castle!

 I did a report on The Four Crowned Saints. It was so cool to actually see in person what I have been researching on!

One day we went on top of the hill and over looked the city, which of course was gorgeous. 

Saw some unfinished work by Michelangelo. Love that man more everyday! 

 The churches here are unreal. There are so many mosaics and they are all so detailed and perfect. You never know what you are going to see when you go inside.

This guy has been the best part of the trip. He is so knowledgeable and is so excited to teach us everyday. I am loving 

Saturday Adventures

Saturday was a really good day! I got to sleep in a little, eat a great breakfast, and then on a little adventure to this place called Tivoli. We started out with lunch outside and then headed to the beautiful gardens at Villa D'Esta. It was a huge estate full of fountains, bushes, trees, and flowers. It was so peaceful, I wish I could have hung out longer!

 This is how you get your water in Italy. There are little fountains that are constantly running right out of the wall!

The Vatican Museum

This museum was unbelievable! There was so much incredible artwork by the most incredible artist, it was a little overwhelming. We spent all day long in the museum and we didn't even get through the whole thing! In most of the museum, the walls and ceilings were covered in paintings. It was so beautiful. I kept thinking over and over again how much time was put into each piece. Everything was so detailed and perfect. I'm just posting some of my favorites from the day.

A real life mummy! Freaky.

The Laocoon and his Son's

 Caravaggio's masterpieces (kinda blurry because it is so dang dark in some of those galleries)

The Scraper by Lyssipus

Just a couple pictures of the amazing ceilings. 

 The Vatican's courtyard

 We finished the day going through the Sistine chapel and seeing the ceiling. I will never forget the awe I was in when I walked into that chapel. That ceiling is the most spectacular thing I have ever seen. I know a lot of history behind Michelangelo and the story of him painting the Sistine Chapel so it really meant so much more to me. After seeing a few works by Michelangelo, I'm starting to form a little crush on him. That man truly created remarkable things. Taking pictures of the ceiling was against the rules, but I just had to sneak one! This picture does not do it justice, but its a little taste. 

I finished the day with gelato and walked home feeling pretty blessed for the opertunity to study over here in Italy.