My lovely pumpkins!!
This is what our tour guide calls our touring group, the children are called her pumpkins and the teachers and parents are called her pumpkin keepers! Our tour guide is quite nice and friendly and very knowledgable. Today was a very long day...we did so much, it was probably the busiest day of the trip. We were up again at 7am and boarded the bus for 8am. We headed directly to Vatican City which is actually its own country. Like I said before I have waited years to get to the Vatican, just so i could have the opportunity to pray, i kinda figured that if I wanted god to hear my prayers than that would be the closest place to be. I prayed and prayed...lets see what our future holds!
We also went into the Sistene Chappel, where Michaelangelo painted the ceiling with gorgeous paintings of various scenes from the bible. We learned so much in such a small amount of time. This experience was unbelievable, of course the children didn't understand the significance of the history involved with the Vatican, but i did. I stood, in the middle of the chapel looking up for 15 minutes.


It was so important for me to soak in the atmosphere, feelings and all around powerful aura. It was peaceful, Colleen and I went into a private chapel and prayed amoungst nuns and priests. How could you not take advantage of that chance to speak out and thank god for all the blessings you have in your life? Besides, I still have dreams, wishes and hopes...what does it hurt to try?
We also went to the colosseum, that was amazing.We toured it and walked around, we witnessed the place that Ceasar was killed and where his ashes are layed to rest. The history regarding the colloseum is so powerful, can you believe the entertainment that use to happen at that place? Gladiators would fight till the death, it would be the people in the stands who would determine if the weakest gladiator would live or die. If one of the gladiators went down and was injured, the king would look to the stands and if the crowds cheered for the man to die, then he would be killed by the other gladiator. They would also send in animals to fight till death, and that would be their entertainment. Seating in the colloseum would be the rich and wealthy would get the first rows, middle class men would get the middle parts of the seating and then the poor, finally the women would get the seats farthest away. The rich women of course could sit with their husbands. We managed to do some more shopping before dinner and that was nice, we bought a couple small souveingers but had a beer in the streets of Rome, literally walking down the middle of the street with a beer in hand and no rules to say we couldn't do that!

Well good night my friends...hope everyone is well...its late, off to bed!!