More from Verona...

Once again... Happy Easter!!

So last night I went to chuch and sat with Andreas Grandmother. Andrea spoke at the front of church so he sat up there the entire time. She speaks no English, I of course speak no Italian... but that does not stop her. She talk, talk, talked to me, all in Italian. At first I just looked at her, smiled, and shook my head. By the end I was repeating the last parts of what she would say. She seemed happy with that. She also liked that I would attempt to sing along using the bulletin. However, I do not think she liked that I did not take communion. I had no way to explain to her that I am Christian but not Catholic so who knows what she thought of me.


Also during the service they sprinkle everyone with holy water. I felt the need at that time to make the cross symbol. They do this symbol quite a few times during the service and I do not feel the need at those times, but when the priest is standing in front of me and is sprinkling me with holy water I feel that its a requirement. I looked up while making the cross to see Andrea looking at me laughing... I started laughing too. After church he mentioned it so I told him that if I had not done it all I could imagine was poofing into a cloud of smoke! I told him that as a genaral rule I do not but when it comes to holy water I must.


After church we went back to Andreas Dads house and picked up Britt and then went back to the city center. It was soooooo cold!! Luckily we met up with a few of Andreas friends and went into the Blue Bar where it was very warm!! I first had a spritz (yummy) and then tried lemonchello for the first time. Its a very popular drink in Italy and I found out its also a very strong drink!!! They drink it straight. I bought a bottle of it before trying it and when I make it at home I will have to mix it with Sprite or something. It is pretty good and found a recipe for making it at home...

You need:

• zest of 6 lemons
• 400ml sugar
• 800ml vodka

Method: Allow to stand for 3-4 weeks, strain and enjoy over crushed ice as an aperitif. The people who put the recipe online says they also tried the recipe with other citrus fruit, like limes and mandarins and it was great as well! I guess try it out!! I may just do that as well!

We were a pretty loud group all night... Britt and I in English, the rest in Italian. But we had a ton of fun!! I was just happy that we were indoors on such a cool evening! Britt agreed with me!!

Ready for a story that made Britt and I laugh so hard we cried (I hope I can do it justice)...

In Andreas Dads house Britt and I are sleeping in the same room each on our own twin bed. About an hour or so after going to bed I was woken up by this strange noise. It sounded like something was leaning and about to topple over (you know the noise I am talking about)? And then BOOM!! It sounded like something fell inside the room. But, with the blinds that they have here the room is pitch black even in the middle of the day so I could not see a thing.

I sat and thought for a few seconds if it was something in my dream, if it was something that really happened, and if Britt was also awake. I decided to find out... I said out loud in my sleepy voice... "What the hell was that?" After a few seconds of Britt pondering he says... "I think it was me!"

We wait a minute and then we turn the light on. It was him!!! I could see the head of the bed and it was on the floor. I started lauging that his bed fell!! Then I turned over and saw the foot of the bed and it was still in the air!! Some how, both of the front legs of the bed he was sleeping in fell over, but not the back legs!! Being as sleepy as I was this was way too funny!

Then Britt says to me, he did not realize that his bed fell and he did not wake up until he heard me say "What the hell was that?" He said had a dream about a coin that was about to fall, and then it fell, he too thought the sound of the bed falling was only in his dream. And then in his dream, when the coin fell (and the bed actually fell) healso dreamed that he had been shot. Which in his mind was the reason for the loud sound of the bed falling.

He woke up scared and I was scared as well. But once we realized what had happened he was laughing at how I asked what was going on and I was laughing that he did not realize that it was his bed that made the noise and that it fell out from under him!!

I got up to use the restroom and came back to a very proud Britt... he says to me, "Now it will not happen again!" All he did was put the back legs down so the whole bed was resting on the floor. This made me laugh even harder... that he was so proud of himself for being so ingenious!!

We giggled for a few more minutes before turning the lights back off and going back to sleep!!

Now Andrea and his Dad are making us lunch and we have no further plans for this Easter Sunday. I think Britt and I will do laundry when he wakes up. Otherwise I just want to wish you a very happy Easter... thank Jesus for what he did for me... and to be greatful for it!!