Hello from Santorini

Hi everybody! I'm going to tell you about the past week (and a bit).

Day One: Today we went to Siena. It's really neat because there are many neighborhoods which each have their own flag, symbol, church, and fountain. They all compete against each other in the Pallio on the Campo (a big center square). We got to walk around the Campo and spent a long time at a fountain there. The fountain had wolves with water spurting from their mouths. Pigeons like to sit on the wolves' snouts and stick their heads in the wolves mouths to drink.

Day Two: Today we drove to Massa Lubrense (a small town near Sorrento). We stopped at a small hill town called Orvieto. It was cute and had a view but not much else. Apparently, Massa Lubrense is home to the Sirens who lured Ulysses.

Day Three: Today was Colin's birthday. To celebrate, we went to Pompeii. It was really neat, because it was really well preserved. You could walk into the houses and still see frescoes and mosaics. We then went to Naples (the home of pizza) for Colin's birthday pizza. You could watch them make it, and it was really good. We then got him a giant gelato before heading home for presents.

Day Four: Today we drove the Amalfi Coast. We got a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean and the coast. It was also kind of scary because you are driving along a winding road on the side of a cliff. We stopped to go to the beach at a town called Positano. The water was incredibly clear and there were fish swimming around you.

Day Five: Today we drove from Massa Lubrense to Rome. We tried to get up to the top of Mt. Vesuvius but found it virtually impossible.

Day Six: We started off the day at the Colosseum. Only the skeleton of the building is left (the seats, marble, steps, and iron bars were all taken away), but it was still amazing. We saw the Roman forum. It was covered with the ruins of temples and government buildings. We got to see the place where Julius Caesar was cremated. We walked to Trevi Fountain which is a GIGANTIC fountain with a statue of the water god. We climbed the Spanish Steps before heading back to our apartment.

Day Seven: Today we went to Vatican City. We walked to the Vatican Museum and got to see the Sistine Chapel. Next we went to St. Peter's Cathedral. It really is huge. We saw one of the Cardinals doing some kind of ceremony in there, and he was surrounded by the Swiss Guards. We went up to the top of the dome where you could see Rome stretching out below you. It was 1,100 steps in all. Then we wandered around Rome for a few hours. It was our last day in Italy.

Day Eight: Today we flew to Santorini. We spent most of the day flying. There is a black sand beach a few minutes from our hotel, the first I've seen.

More later...