'Cause we need a little Christmas... and random musings.

Best. Juxtaposition. Ever.

I'm sorry I haven't had much time to blog the past few weeks. I've been insanely busy. And by insanely busy, I mean I actually had to focus on school. Weird. My Mystery Paintings class last weekend was excellent. I learned a lot about art history, so I'm not a total ignoramus anymore in that area. It's really cool stuff, especially since our professor is an expert in the history of art theft. How cool is that?

I also realized that I definitely do not have enough pictures of Rome, so I'll be taking my camera out with me a lot more before I leave. I have finals Tuesday and Thursday, plus papers and a portfolio review for my art class. It's going to be a crazy week, and it's going to fly by. But we're going to find a way to make the most of it, even if we have to waste precious Rome time studying. We've been going out to eat a lot lately, trying to get as much amazing authentic Italian food and wine as possible before we're deprived of it (until the next time I'm in Italy). I think it's safe to say I will never be able to eat at the Olive Garden again. We've also been playing Christmas music continually since the day after Thanksgiving, which makes me so excited to go home. So it's a fair exchange. I leave Italy and its food and wine, but I get my family and Christmas instead. Works for me. I'm just going to have to find a way to get myself un-addicted to cappuccinos. It's actually a problem. I get headaches if I don't have one. And it's completely unfair. I drank cappuccinos (cappuccini, if we're using correct Italian grammar) because they're delicious, not because I needed the caffeine. Then one day I had a pounding headache and I couldn't get rid of it. Then I drank a coffee and it disappeared and I realized I had accidentally gotten myself addicted to caffeine. Way to go, moron.

This past Thursday was a national holiday for the Immaculate Conception, so our classes were all canceled (even though we have to make them up on Monday - so dumb) and we took the opportunity to wander around Rome, visit the Christmas market in Piazza Navona, and do a significant amount of shopping. The Christmas market was disappointing, but I did try roasted chestnuts for the first time. They're unlike anything I've ever had before. And they look like little brains. I liked them.