Hello, Limoncello

Yesterday I went to the Vatican for the first time, and I'm pretty sure it changed my life. I walked from Piazza di Spagna to Vatican Square and I surprisingly did not even have to ask for directions. Now that I've been here for nearly a month, it's amazing to see how well I know my way around the city. I've even adjusted to the buses, which is a big step up from when I first arrived. I spent the entire morning in the Vatican, just appreciating how beautiful it was. 
It was breathtaking; the angels and saints carved from marble, the art looking down on it's admirers proudly, the nuns chatting amongst one another about their love of religion (at least I'm assuming so, since I of course don't understand Italian). It was just pure heaven (no pun intended) to be there. Fortunately there was a mass beginning that afternoon in which I got to sit in on. It was difficult to understand because the priest spoke Italian, and from what I could tell, had strep throat. But just to be in this atmosphere was lovely. 

On my way out, I saw the changing of the Swiss Guards, which was really a sight to see. These men protect the Pope with their life and stand outside with 8 foot poles while wearing a puffy pantsuit with stripes of red, yellow, blue and green. If you're currently unemployed and thinking, "Hey, this sounds like something I could do!" let me give you the down low. First of all, you must be a Swiss citizen who is a male and over 5"8. Secondly, you must go through a 3 hour interview process while talking only about your life goals and what kind of person you think you are. 
After that, I went shopping and exploring the city. I visited the area called Campo di Fiori (field of flowers) where my friend Shayna lived last year. I was immediately jealous because of the location but also because it is the best market-area in the city. Every corner you turn you find yourself faced with tables of fresh fruits, meats, vegetables and breads.  
I met up with my good friend Jeanny, who is one of the most hilarious people in the entire world. I was waiting for her on the corner of Dior on Via Condotti and I met a bunch of Americans from Rochester - just a few hours away from Niagara Falls! The men who always try to sell you roses approached us no less than a dozen times, and the one American really showed me how to get these guys off your back. A stern "no" really does it. When another came up after her demonstration, I said, "NO, no thank you," and she shook her head in disappointment. "No thank you is too polite. Just no," she said. So when another man came up and I said "no", he left immediately. Jeanny and I went out for dinner at this adorable little restaurant which also happened to be my Thanksgiving dinner. We order wine (red and white), brucetta, salad, pizza, and pasta. I cannot get over the pasta here, really, it is just too good to be true. Our waiter gave us free chutes of champagne (yummy!) and limoncello shots. Jeanny was disappointed he brought us limoncello because after a hard night of drinking one night in her native Germany, she threw up, and therefore, can never drink limoncello again. This turned out well for me because I had both of them, and they were delicious, even though they looked like highlighters.