Arrived early in the morning and navigated from the plane to the train connection with our strong men throwing the luggage into the train compartment just in time!  At Termini (the main station in Rome) we tried to get a taxi to haul all our luggage to the convent we would be staying at, but the driver started the clock as soon as Pr. Kelly started talking and we were up to 9 Euros before we even got the luggage in (and it would be a two trip affair!).  So, plan B, we walked and hauled all our luggage with us down the cobblestone streets of Rome.  Pr. Clark stayed with the second load of luggage for an hour as we tried to find our way and get back to him (and he was needing a latrine the whole time - and we thought our missionary sacrifices were over when we got to the western world - nope!)

View of the Alps from the plane.

The girls stayed in this pretty room in the convent.  So luxurious after India!

The convent seemed like a palace after India!  It was so clean!!!  And it was pretty and had real beds and facilities and glass in the windows.  The air in Rome smelled fresh and even though we couldn’t understand the language the culture was mostly familiar.  The nuns at the convent were friendly (except the matron) and we couldn’t help but feel like we had stepped into the “Sound of Music” movie.  We quickly cleaned up and headed out to see as much as we could see.

Pr. Kelly has been here before and had the maps and metro tickets in hand.  Off we went on a whirlwind tour of the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Meuseum, another famous cathedral, and Trevi Fountain...  Somewhere in there, we ate pizza (at a Russian pizza joint, much to our chagrin).  We saw a lot, and again it felt like a dream.  I never thought I would be here!  We got home at 10pm, just before the nuns closed the doors.  The grumpy matron wouldn’t let me sleep on the floor, insisting that 5 girls in one room is too many.  (probably they needed us to pay for another room)  Lisa wanted to stay with the girls, so I was whisked off to my own room, Santa Monica #315.  All of these rooms shared bathrooms with the others in their hall, and it took me a while to find one in this new area.  It took me even longer to find my way to everyone else the next day - the hallways were a maze!  But I was so tired I didn’t mind being shuffled off.

Someone confessing their sins to a man in a booth.

A gorgeous cathedral - I saw so many I can't remember which one this is : (

Everything was so clean and pretty.

Little cafes were tucked into every nook and cranny.

The Pizza place.

The top part of Trevi Fountain (people's head were in the way for the rest).

Smart cars are extra smart for these narrow roads in Italy!