Rome (day 2)

I would like to start by adding a P.S. to yesterdays blog: Dearest Cousin Danny, I am pained to say that I took no fantastic photos of a slinky going down the stairs of the Colosseum. There were no good stairs to send it down... :-(
All the stairs there are no longer there. (The only stairs go from the first level to the second- there are about ten stairs and they are no good.) Sorry, with great sadness do I relay this news.
Okay, on to today.
So, yesterday started out as a not very good day. (Debbie, you were right.) I was really bummed that I had not met anyone yet and was just in low spirits. Then... I took a nap. It turned my world upside down and I woke up ready to face all of Rome. It was wonderful. Evidently sleep really makes a person feel grood (great and good). So, after my nap I walked out of the dorm-ish thing I am staying in and went on a walk then to the place where the computers and food are located and made some friends. They are two girls from New York and both their names are Kate. Then I also got some roommates from Canada. It was very happy. So, needless to say, today has been a much better day. Today feels more like my first day in Europe. Kate and Kate and I wondered around Rome together and saw so much. We walked about five or six miles not including the maze called the Vatican. It was a full day. I saw the Sistine Chapel today! It was AWESOME!!! I have loads of photos. (Unfortunately they will not get put up for at least another week as I will have no internet in Romania) On top of seeing the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's, and all the other catholic things in Vatican City, I saw Fontana Di Trevi, which is a huge fountain and is beautiful and crowded. I also saw the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, more fabulous ruins and much more. It was a jam-packed day. I also got real Italian food today. Yesterday and the day before I ate the tuna and mandarin oranges I had packed, but today... I ate nutella and bread and I ate out at a little restaurant. I got lasagna and it was really really good. I also tried some of Kate Z's ravioli and some of Kate's pizza. It was all very good. Other good things: since we walked everywhere I got to see a lot more of Rome and it became more of what I expected, narrow stone streets with small motor cars and motorcycle things zipping around everywhere. It was neat. And, instead of water fountains like we have, they have actual fountains that you fill your bottles at or stick your head under or what ever. The water comes out of everything from gargoyle mouths to whales. It is neat. So, today was good.
Tomorrow I am going to an open air market that is open only on Sunday. After that, I leave for Pisa and then Monday I will leave for Romania. That being said, I will not get a chance to write again until I return to Pisa from Romania, so it will be about a week. I will have no internet in Romania so I will also not be able to check my e-mail until I return to Italy. But until then,
Ciao,
Chelsea

*edit*
I know some people were wondering about the food and I forgot to write about it. So, most everything cost a flat rate, £1 or £1.50 - never like in the states where things are always odd change. The strangest cost was today I bought juice for £0.90. There are no taxes when you go to check out either, which is nice. However, the downfall to going and eating out is most places charge you a sitting fee. It is just one euro per person usually, so not too bad. Then, depending on where you eat the meal can cost anywhere between £5-10 (that is at the places I eat... cheap). So my meal yesterday (this post) was £8 but there was a £1 sitting charge and also the water cost £1. So it ended up being £10, not too bad. All along the streets there are little stands selling food and other what-nots and the food there is usually just pizza (not like our pizza, though-more like a sandwich pizza) and there are sandwiches. They are usually between £3 (if you are lucky) and £5. It is good though. Bread is cheap. :-)
So, I just thought I would add that info for you all to enjoy.