Yesterday we went to Il Duomo for class. It was really cool, especially since we went with our teacher so it was kind of like we had our own personal guide. It's amazing that they built it so many years ago and how impressive it is. I have pictures that I will put up by the end of the weekend. Today we went to the crypt, baptistry, and museo dell'opera. I think the best part of it all was the arch that we went to the top of. It was going to be an expansion of il duomo in the mid 1300s, but the Black Death arrived and took out most of the town. So, the construction of that expansion was halted and it never started up again. Now, it's a place anyone can go climb up and see the amazing views from the top. I could have just sat at the top for hours on end. It was gorgeous out, which made it that much better up there. Mom and Dad, there's just another place you guys will have to go. I think it's better than climbing the tower. It's cheaper and you get great views every way you turn. Not to mention there is something to sit on. So, maybe one of these days, I will just pay to go up there and read for a while. It was very peaceful and a great place to chill out for a bit if you need to. I can talk about it forever, but that won't do anything. It's one of those things you just have to see for yourself. Sorry! Once you see the pictures I took, you will understand how I could sit up there all day long. Anyways, this weekend I am going to Rome! I can't wait! I am leaving bright and early tomorrow morning (bus leaves at 6am!). I plan on sleeping for the entire bus ride. I am going with 4 other girls in my program - Katya, Amy, Mary, and Jenny. We are going to see the Vatican tomorrow, which I am pretty excited for. I know we are also planning on seeing the Colosseum, Pantheon, and basically everything you would see in Rome. I'm excited to see all these things in person, since I've only seen them in books and heard about them. The one thing I'm not looking forward to in Rome is the amount of people and all the tourists. I understand that I'm a tourist also, but the millions of people that are in Rome every day is a bit much for me. That's the one thing I really like about Siena - there aren't a ton of people and it's never extremely crowded. I guess I'm more of a small town girl and probably always will be :) Check back in on Sunday when I've uploaded pictures from il Duomo and Rome. Ciao!