Ti amo Roma

It was a lovely week.

A splendid sun burning on our shoulders and arms. Drinking water which comes from wells in the city. Laughter filling the air. Sneaking to the boys's rooms in the middle of the night. Smoking cigarettes out of the bathroom window secretly.

An enormous city. Ancient history is visible everywhere you go. Walks from early morning till late afternoon. Tired legs, blisters on our feet.

Art, lots and lots of art. The feeling of walking around in a theatre play wearing the wrong costumes. Buildings so high you can hardly see their top if you're right in front of them. Thousands of years of history.

Roma, the eternal city.

There's so much to see, and therefore there are so many pictures. I took almost 600 pictures, of us, of art, of everything. Let's take a look at the prettiest ones...

Of course we couldn't leave without throwing some coins into the Trevi-fountain...

Piazza Navona

 Vatican City. I can't say I'm religious, but seeing all those people who are, who believe in their church so truly, really touched me somehow. Even the church itself, with all its art and decoration, was incredibly impressive...

 Every detail looks so small in that huge building, untill you stand next to it...

St. Peter's Square

Chilling like a bunch of hippies next to the Angels & Demons obelisk.

The Vatican Musea

I wonder how much art there is... If you could buy it, what would the price be? I don't think anyone would have that amount of money.

  School of Athens by Rafaël

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo.

Forum Romanum

 The Spanish Steps

Me, Lisa and Maud at the Colosseum.

Having fun at Ostia Antica, doing things which weren't allowed...

An antique jacuzzi? I have the funniest friends...

And then, according to the guys, they suddenly saw three goddesses...

Piazza della Republica by night...

Vicky is happy as a child with the ice-cream I owed her, for graduading in Spanish two years ago.
Congrats, Vicks!

After all, it's important to have fun, even when you're feet hurt and you're marching along the Tiber...

So we took a little break to take funny close-ups...

Castel Sant Angelo, with the Bernini sculptures on the bridge.

Paintings in the Santa Maria del Populo, by Caravaggio.

G is for Gelato!

It was an awesome week. My feet are still tense and I'm still tired. I'm wearin the I heart Roma sweater I (and almost everyone else) bought. I'll see everyone again tomorrow, in Latin class, and we sure will discuss everything over and over again. We'll be remembering like it was only yesterday. We're going to share all the pictures and remember how much fun we had. We'll be whining that we want to go back.

And who knows, we might even go... There's so many beautiful places to visit, so we're not finished travelling at all. Like I once read in a store, painted on the wall: 

Nur Reisen ist Leben, wie umgekehrt das Leben Reisen ist: 

The journey alone is living, as much as life is the journey.

- Jean Paul - 

With love,
Kirsten

Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday

Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be
There's a shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday came suddenly

- The Beatles - 

Arriverderci!

Oh, I wonder what Rome will be like, and the best is that I'll know the answer to that in less than a day!

I got my list of things to pack finished, I shopped the last things I needed: mini-packages of shampoo, showergel, hairspray, plasters, some tops, a travel-diary, a pair of shoes - also in the Roman style, so it's a perfect match. My bags aren't packed yet, but I know what to take with me... Only problem might be closing the suitcase!

Okay, being honest, we won't have much time to stroll through the city and be pretty and glamourous, as we have an insane programm. Five churches on the first day only, and there's much more.
Fortunately, I love art, so I won't mind at all. I mean, the sun will be shining, the temperature will be nice, I'll have my friends with me, and these Roman art is really pretty, so what's not to like?
Also, I've read Dan Brown's  Angels & Demons and I'm really inquisitive to the images behing that story.
Positive spirit!

Only thing is that I probably won't be able to use the Internet for a week, so I can't post. But don't worry, it's only till next Friday, and then I'll be back with my dreams, wishes, fantasies, hopes and thoughts to share and to enjoy reading or listening to yours.

 

And who would say no to a week full of sun, friends, gelato, handsome Italian guys and your friends?

I wouldn't, for sure!

So now, I should go packing my suitcase and get some rest... Department from home is at 3.00 tonight!

Stay sunny, stay lovely, stay you!

 

With love, 

Kirsten

Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up, we've got everything you need 

Roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up, satisfaction guaranteed

Roll up for the mystery tour.
The magical mystery tour is hoping to take you away,
Hoping to take you away.

- The Beatles 

It's not always true that time heals all wounds.

How dare you break my lonely heart?

And you dance on the pieces.

Being with you just tears me apart.

Not again, not again.

- Sunrise Avenue -

There's been danced on my shattered heart. People have been passing over and over it, and still it always got healed again.

I would never have imagined the four of us becoming such close friends.
We're sisters, and therefore we're born to be rivals, jealous, angry, sad, happy, funny together. It's always been inside us.
I sing for you when you're sad, my terribly singing cheers you up. You always get the dirty jokes immediately and explain them to me when I don't. I steal your clothes, you use mine.
We're making plans for summers when we'll be grown-up. We're discussing our future, what will it be like?
In fact, there's no one who knows me better than you do.

What do I do when my love is away?

Does it worry you to be alone?

How do I feel by the end of the day?

Are you sad because you're on your own?

No, I get by with a little help from my friends.

- The Beatles -

The thought that can always cheer me up: Eventually, I've been there, done that. The place will always be special to me. I've gotten used to the desperate longing to go back immediately. But back I'll go.
I left a piece of my heart right there.

No, this is not the time or the place for a broken-hearted

'Cause this is the end of the rainbow,

Where no one can be too sad.

Bye bye, Hollywood Hills.

I'm gonna miss you, wherever I go.

I'm gonna come back to walk these streets again.

Remember that we had fun together.

- Sunrise Avenue -

I feel a deep interest for art.
Written words, poetry, prose, stories.
Painted faces, drawn images. I can't imagine how people created some of the most beautiful things. I can only try my best to create the best of me.

Above, my favorite poem, written by Goethe, and came across in Blanes, Spain. It always gives me a lovely feeling whenever I read it.
It tells a soft summer day, glowing oranges, clear blue skies. And love. Especially love.
Down, a detail of a painting by Michelangelo, which has always held my affection, since I've been a little girl. Can't wait for my trip to Rome to see it myself...

So when I'm lying in my bed,

Thoughts running through my head,

And I feel that love is dead

I'm loving angels instead.

- Robbie Williams -

Flowers rise their heads again every morning when the sun comes up. Sunflowers even follow the sun.
Empty branches come to live again in Spring. Maybe we should take a look at that more often.

One day you'll look and see I've gone,
For tomorrow may rain so I'll follow the sun.
Some day you'll know I was the one,
But tomorrow may rain so I'll follow the sun.

- The Beatles - 

Love brings the risk of being hurt. Like there would be no day without a night, there would be no happiness without pain. The people who are the closest to you, are able to hurt you the most. Not even on purpose, sometimes.
They also are able to make you feel so happy. I felt a bit moody yesterday, and then, one tiny thing happened and everything was alright again.
My best friends Anna and Jasmijn cheered me up, and they shared my happiness later, as we were sitting on a terrace and talking.
"Shall I heal your little broken heart?" and "I'm happy for you," some of the best things to hear.

Eventually, everything can be healed. Sometimes it only takes time, or some well-mixed cocktails. A good joke a friend made. A cute image in your head. 

Standing on the edge of forever
At the start of whatever
Shouting love at the world.
Back then, we were like cavemen,
We’d beam at the moon and the stars,
Then we forgave them.

We will meet you where the lights are,
The defenders, of the faith we are
Where the thunder turns around they’ll run so hard we’ll tear the ground away.

You know no one dies, in these love town lies
Through our love drowned eyes, we’ll watch you sleep tonight.

Although no one understood we were holding back the flood.
Learning how to dance the rain.
We were holding back the flood they said we’d never dance again.

- Take That - 

And we will dance again.