The first of many 4day weekends :)

After a rainy start Friday morning we had a great night and such a great first weekend in Italy! Friday night, a big group of us went out and met up with nearly everyone else in graphic at the Spanish Steps. Rumor is that Julius Caesar was murdered there... The Spanish Steps are a popular place for Romans and tourists to meet, talk and drink a bottle of wine. We followed along... and finished many bottles of wine between all of us :)

Roma truly looks like a different city at night...
it just glows with romance and energy.

We were walking to the Trevi Fountain when I took this picture. I like it because the streets are empty, which is a rare sight in Roma!

Ohhhh the Trevi.... gorgeous. breathtaking. incredible. beautiful. all of the above.
The rest of the night can be summed up in just a couple words... Alfredo. Guest List. and Beautiful Italian men. It was a great night :)
The party was along the river... SO neat!

La Maison by the River

On to Saturday -- Karen, one of my room mates, was celebrating her birthday on Saturday so we went to the beach and out for dinner. It was such a relaxing day!

Hello speedos of every color, shape, and siiize!

Quick group picture of all of the room mates before going to dinner...
Carolyn, Becky, Laura, Karen, Bethany, Me, & Leah

I am so excited about our first project in my graphic studio 470 class... we are selecting an area or monument in Roma and designing an extensive identity system for it. I selected the Campo de Fiori; its an area I fell in love with when I first walked in! It used to be a meadow (hence the name fiore meaning flowers) and now is an area of shopping, cafes, bars, etc with a haunting bronze statue of Giordano Bruno, a philosopher that was burned to death for his forward thinking.

Campo de Fiori

other things in Roma.....

Piazza della Bocca della Verita below

everything is just beautiful...views from Villa Borghese (an expansive and lush park) on the northern edge of Roma

Piazza del Popolo (the next two)
The street performers are soooo good here!
This man and his suitcase matched the trash bin perfectly!

constant inspiration around every corner!

Bethany and I were sooo hungry mid-afternoon so we stopped for pizza!
SO warm & SO crispy!
All pizza is served 'folded' like this!

Yesterday we spent the day at the beach again :) Ah I love Italy.