Kristy was/is here

12:49 AM - Padova - Hey all! Kristy and Steve here drinking a glass of wine and recalling our fabulous week together. We have had a wonderful time together and so we would like to share with you some of what we've done. Recap:
Saturday - Steve made a check list of things to do before Kristy arrived. He ended up checking all of them off (with the help of the girls studying here with him) most importantly the item "Go Get Kristy." Kristy was proud that the remembered that, if nothing else.
Trips to and from Venice were rather uneventful - Steve was able to watch the entire 1997 Michigan - ohiostate while on the train and we made it back in time for Davide to cook us a lovely pasta with his own version of ragu sauce. Then we prepared for The Game. After some minor techincal difficulties with the ESPN gameplan we were successfully off and running as were the Wolverines and we were able to watch the first Touchdown. Go Blue. Enough said.
Sunday - We slept. Pizza with Danielle and Angela. Basta.
Monday - We left on an early train to Florence where Kristy was able to experience her first taste of true Italian culture... Everything was closed. For future reference: Don't go to Italy on a Monday.
Florence was still a great time even if we were forbidden entrance to practically everything we wanted to see - we were able to see the Duomo (by Brunelleschi) and the 700 year old Ponte Vecchio.
After that we hopped a 5 HOUR train to Rome. Ugh. It takes 5 hours to get from Rome to Padova, not Florence which is halfway in between the two. In Rome we checked into the Freedom Traveller hostel (highly recommended) and went out for a classy night in the eternal city.
Tuesday - We did Rome in a day. St. Peter's, Vatican City, Colisseum, Roman Ruins, Pantheon, the Prison of Paul and Peter (wicked cool), and we even tried for a pub crawl on the spanish steps but we were too late (even for Italian standards apparently) so we went across the street to Mickey D's for a not-so-classy dinner and some beer. On our way back, we bought a bottle of wine and drank it as we were caught in the rain and thunderstorm. Good times.
Wednesday - Early train. Back to Padova. Study. Test. Italians made us a Thanksgiving dinner which they slaved over for hours. They did their best with the turkey which they bought Monday and had killed Tuesday. Basta.
Thursday in Padova - Happy Thanksgiving! Woke up and went to the Duomo which happens to be around the corner from Steve's apartment. We saw the art in the baptistry which neither of us had ever seen before - pretty nifty. And then we walked to Prato where we got a phone call from the early morning crew at America's Thanksgiving Day parade. (Aka - Dan the man, Slick, Poppa Schrags, JD, Uncle Bruin) after an intense game of 2 on 2 football on Woodward. Proceeded to the Basilica where we were able to enter however for the 1 hour that we were there everything (including access to the Saint's tongue) was closed. Naturally. We took a picture because it was literally closed for the one hour that we were there. Appointment, panino, class, Thanksgiving dinner with the Boston Paduan program and the UC program in Bologna. We took over Vecchia Padova, a local restaurant, and had our pot luck. We brought limoncello, stuffed our face and had a great time.
Friday - Verona. After class on this rainy day we hopped the next train to Verona where we saw a bunch of old, artsy things. Started off at the Mantegna exhibit, Arena, Juliet's balcony (where we touched her BOOB for good luck), and then we saw the Roman Theatre built in the first century B.C. Had a nice little dinner, took the train back and now we are writing to you. I just opened some birthday presents, too. Ho-Ho's and Tiger gear from the famb and tickets to White Christmas at the Fox over break from the Garvey's :-)
Tomorrow it's off to Venice and Sunday the girl half leaves :-( It has been a fun trip and we are both looking forward to seeing everyone over Christmas. Peace and Love
- Us.

PS. Pictures will be up probably Sunday. It's Home Alone 2 time. Night ya'll/y'all.