Well let me catch you up with what I am up to

First I want to say thanks to all you who have written me and posted messages. When I check my e-mail and see like 12 messages from friends and family it makes me so super happy. I have had a few who have embarressed me and made me laugh out loud in front of a crowd of people. It makes me feel like some one cares for me back home. It gives me something to look forward to and a longing to come back home (not soon) but I will come back because of you guys. Awe you are all too cute.
Well this weekend was awesome. I went Friday night to dinner at a friends apartment in the out skirts of the city. I rode the city bus and bought some Italian wine and this great little place. Had to practice my horrible Italian. Then went to see the apartment. Wow, what a difference from an American apartment. The washer is in the Kitchen it is small and there are no dryers. They hang there clothes outside. It was neat. Everyone here does that even my House Mother I guess you could call her. It is cool. We had a great internation dinner. My friend from Spain made Spanish tortillas nothing like the Mexican ones. Another made a greek salad (very yummy) this guy brought Jalepenos (mexican of course) it was funny but we had a great time. Then on Sat. I went to Vinci. We went by train to this town called Empoli. Then from there a bus to Vinci where Leonardo was born and lived for a long time. We hiked very high up for like an hour to his house. It was the cutest town ever. It is was you really picture Italy to be. Well the funny or hilarous part was when we go to the top we see all these people up there. We are like Wow we did not see a soul on the hike up how did they get here. The city bus drops you off right at the dirt drive way of Di Vinci's house. Can you believe it we hiked in the blaring heat for about an hour. Well we were mad for like 10 seconds then we saw down toward the city and the view from the top was phynominal (can't remember how to spell). We then thought well we did get to see come great veiws and these cool old vacated Villas. We even saw like this old Medivel Fort on the hike up. It was geourgous the fields all around were full of georgeous flowers and WOW you could smell the Jasmin so strongly. I took lots of pictures. But still you need to see how high and steep this hill was and like idiots we hiked when everyone was bused or drove up. We didn't think there was even a rode. Well the house was cool. We saw his inventions in this musuem it was amazing how ahead of the time he was.
Then that night we went out on the town it was fun. Lots to see and do here. Lots of live music on the streets.
Then Sunday we went to Asscici bright and early. However, if you guys have never seen pictures of Assisi oh my gosh you must. If you come to Italy you must go to Assisi even if you are not religous. It is amazing. It is like seeing the heaven people depict in our minds through books and drawings. There is Assisi (bajo) which is a small cute town. We went in and observed mass. Then we saw where San Francisco lived and worshiped. Then we went to Assisi (alto). Wow that is a seen. You look up this moutain side and there is the GIGANTIC city in the hillside. It is all white. It makes me think that is what Jersulem looks like. It was so white and huge walls everywhere. It had these tall arches we went through made me think of the gates of heaven when you picture it in your head. There are the most beautiful churches. We saw beautiful paintings from such famous people. It was amazing. The view from above was shocking. The homes were like all intertwined and they had narrow I mean super Narrow path ways. The looked like mazes. It just amazes me when I see these places that have been there since 1292 or so and people still live there. It is amazing. Well yesterday I went to the top of the Duomo here in Florence with some friends and that was awesome as well. We saw Dantes Nine gates of hell scene on the top of the Duomo. It is really cool. You should see this Cuopla it is a round rutonda on top of this monstrous church and when you see you can not believe they did it with no scaffolding. They used rope and other primitive tools by out present standards to do this wonder of art. Then you can actually walk on the outside of the rotunda so high up. We sat up there for about 3 hours just talking and getting sun (especially to my white legs) which are getting nice and brown now. It was amazing and yes I took lots of pictures. I will try to figure out how to post I will I promise. Well I must go now I am going out again tonight. I will be sleeping for a month when I get home just to let you know but there is no time to sleep now. We are getting together to watch the Brazil game and go here live music in the town center by the famous Uffizi musuem. We watched the Italy game at this cool Italian bar with about 5 classmates last night it was amazing. When they won it is like the city went crazy. People where out honking and screaming and singing it was so cool to be apart of. I can't wait to see the Italy vs USA game on Saturday. We are kiking to the top of the Piazza Michelangelo to watch it on a big jumb tron with the city skyline in our view as well. It will be cool. I don't know who I will go for though I am pretty out numbered. Well thanks for posting and tooning in. Thanks as well for not pointing out my horrible spelling I am typing as fast as possible so as to not waste mintues. I have to pay for every minute I use the internet.
Ciaò
Martha