Part VI: Skipping ahead

I just decided to skip ahead to what I'm up to now in la bella Roma, since there are so many exciting things happening now.  Our classes officially started on Tuesday: Moral Theology, Roman Perspectives, and Basic Italian.  I had to laugh because while our academic semester is just beginning, our classmates back on campus in the U.S. are trudging through midterms.  What's even sweeter is that we only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are dedicated to our Art and Architecture class tours and day trips.

The other day, for example, we were supposed to take a day trip to Orvietto, home of an Eucharistic miracle and the cross which spoke to St. Thomas.  But, thanks to a blackout in Termini station, we weren't able to go.  Welcome to Italy folks!  When there isn't a random strike, there's a blackout.  Living here, you learn to never to take anything for granted, except the food.  Always have plan B when planning anything!

Last Wednesday's papal audience, we went to say ciao to our Papa Francesco, absolutely worth it, despite the crowds.  But the crowds... oh the crowds!  The little Italian grandmas turn into screaming banshees in a crowd so tight that I couldn't even reach into my own pocket to get a tissue.  At one point, working my way up to Vatican security to get into the square, Italian grandma #1 was screaming at me to stop pushing her, while Italian grandmas #2, 3, 4, and 5 were pushing me into #1.  I lost my balance and started falling down, unable to right myself.  Luckily one of my guy friends saw my plight and reached over #3 and pulled me up.  But I made it in and out of the audience safely.  And this made it all worthwhile:

The back view of St. Peter's in the morning:

The crowd waiting:

 I love the clouds, even if they did bring pouring rain:

People being vacuum sealed into their places.  The genderarmeri brought the barrier up and squished them in as far as they could go:

Papa Francesco!!!!!!!: