Roma-1

I woke up at 5:45 am and I didn't have a towel...BUT i did have an extra sheet and i HAD to shower!!!!! I left the hostel and took the R2 bus to the train station and i ALMOST got pick pocketed. No joke! I sat with my bag in front of me and my backpack on my chest. This guy was standing next to me when there was barely no one on the bus. He started to touch my leg and i said no and moved as close to the window as i could. Luckily I had nothing in my pocket and my bags were locked. I also had my eye out so I moved really quick. Then I watched him touch some guys ass and THEN i actually saw him put his hand in someones pocket! Creepy. He eventually got off when he knew he couldn't succeed! Anyway, at the train station the people couldn't understand me so it was a pain to get my ticket validated and the woman who actually did it was a bitch! The train i took goes to venice but makes 4 stopes before it gets to rome and then onto venice. But it was free and it only takes 2 hrs so that's fine by me. When I got to the station my hostel was RIGHT across from the station. I checked in, left my luggage and then left. I did bad planning I guess because the Vatican is close on Sunday...so I HAD to go today. Which just meant longer lines cause it was so late in the day! So i went to the Vatican where I met Vera and Lindsay! I spent the ENTIRE day with them :) We waited in line from 12-12:45 and once we got into the vatican we decided to take the walking tour which began at 2. So we had to wait til 2! We browsed the book shop for a while and then just sat and talked. Very nice girls! It was SOOO nice to meet people and have company! Then at 2 we took the tour through the Vatican/Sistine Chapel til 4:15. Long tour, but very informative. THEN...we climbed 551 steps up and 551 down to see Michelangelos dome and then into St. Peters Chapel. Then we walked around Piazza del Popolo. Then we were going to this restaurant Gusto for dinner, but they weren't open yet so we went to Piazza Navona which was VERY touristy with a lot of street vendors and artists. I saw this one woman tap dancing. I took pictures of her and gave her money because I knew what she was going through. She gave me a card and on the card it said she gave lessons in NYC. Weird huh?!?! Then the 3 of us went to dinner at Gusto. (sugguestion from Jenny!) Not Roman food...but good none the less. However I have to tell you the combo of my dessert. I didn't order it because I wanted it, but because i HAD to try the flavors together. Coffee cake (not like what your thinking with the crumble on the top...actual flavor coffee!) with strawberry jellies, lemon sorbet, licorice sauce and crushed coffee beans. SO WEIRD. Anyway, I took the bus home and met my roomies. 3 boys and 1 girl. England, Argentina and a brother/sister couple from iowa. They all left and I went to bed at 10:30. (no hot water...the pipe broke earlier that day!)