The sun floods my room every morning and I wake up, happy to be here. I do some reading and make some breakfast then head out to the market (which, thank the Lord, I live only two blocks away from on of the best open markets in town!! hooray!) Everything is fresh and I’m pretty sure most of it is organic. There are about twenty or so different fruits and vegetable vendors outside about that many more meat, cheese, and bread/pastry vendors inside…It is almost difficult to decide who to buy from…but you can usually tell who has the best produce.

When it comes to fruits and veggies, things are relatively cheap…which is funny, because it seems like back home things that are health and good for you tend to be more expensive, go figure.

Life is at a slower pace here, for me anyways. After I get back from the market, the rest of the day is usually spent cleaning, cooking, and studying (and working on a book, but that’s another story…) Today, to mix it up a bit, my roommate, Jessica, and I are taking a little trip a few blocks away to Santa Croce (one of the many churches near our house). It is a gorgeous old church that is about as big as a football field. It is so funny that you have to pay to get into these churches…even if you are just there to look at them.

My house mates are great. One of them however, reminds me a bit of my illegitimate child back home…asking me to dunk a cookie in my milk and then give it to her…ummm I wonder who usually asks me to do things like that? haha

There are a few important things that you should know about Italians:

1. they do not wear strong deodorant, if they even wear it at all

2. just because they are yelling and waving around their hands a lot, that does not mean that they are angry, they are just passionate

3. Italians are small people with narrow/small hands and feet, so if you do not have small/narrow hands and feet do not plan to buy shoes or gloves here

4. they do not believe in a/c

5. Italians also do not believe in public restrooms…or if they do, they make you pay to use them

I am learning a great deal every day about Italian culture, differences between myself and other people I live with or meet, and most of all how to love people better.

Santa Croce was stunningly beautiful, of course. It is where Galileo, Michelangelo and Dante are buried. But I don’t know how I should respond to these churches that seem to live double lives. They make money by people coming to view the famous art and tombs but somehow are also are hosts of a church body. In some ways, it is a beautiful thing that they do. They protect, restore and house some of the most famous works of religious art that have touched lives and been part of changing the world. But when is it that they cross the line? Is it not strange that Santa Croce has a gift shop in it where tourists can purchase a rosary for 80 euro? Or is that ok as long as we are able to preserve these beautiful places with their works of art so that people can continue to be amazed by them?

I’m not saying I agree or disagree with this practice…what must be done must be done and that is all there is to it. And I do think that it is very important that it is all kept through out the years so that we  can see where we have come from as a church. I just hope that the millions of people who walk through the halls, chapels and sanctuaries each year are struck by awe and realize that these images and designs were inspired by something far more beautiful, a person who was much more than just a man.