When in Rome

               Im very sorry for not posting in Italy! Wifi was rarely free and and I had absolutely no time. My two days in Rome were quite interesting. Rome is a gritty, dirty city but I love it. Graffiti's everywhere, mixed in with all the old crumbling monuments and buildings. There's so much history, everywhere you look. Jen's not as big of a fan. She says it's too dirty and reminds her too much of downtown LA. Yesterday we wandered around after dinner with this super nice   
older Australian couple and got completely lost. We found ourselves in the middle of a gay pride park! It was so colorful and fun, and I can definitely say the gay community is alive and thriving in Rome! Today the streets close early because there's a massive gay pride parade (I've never even been to a gay pride parade in California and I'm about to get caught in one in Rome). While wandering we also ran into some italian hookers, one standing
on the sidewalk in a seductive pose, hair piled on top of her head, wind blowing around her black dress, and garish lipstick smeared on her face. The other one sat on a car in the alleyway, cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Today we saw the Vatican and Sistine chapel. It's all so overwhelming, but I love the figures. I also have an unhealthy obsession with michealango's pieta. Like. I think it's possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen or experienced. It's angelic. Evidently, lady gaga's playing at the euro pride parade tonight. They're setting up for an outdoor concert. Massive tents and stages filled with hip dancers practicing amongst the ruins of huge roman palaces, built for the imperial family of roman gods and goddesses. Talk about the old and the new. Anyways, Saturday night I headed to the gay pride parade. Lady gaga was performing, but we only caught the end of it. While talking to a tour guide earlier that day, she mentioned that the gay pride movement was something relatively new to Italy, and not always that accepted. So wandering around the streets after the concert was like seeing a whole different, underground part of the city I'd never see at the touristy places. There were people in such crazy outfits. One girl was totally topless, covered in glitter, with a gladiator skirt. I also got my bum pinched by transvestite. Which is something not everyone can say, I suppose. Would you like to know a fun fact? The pope, the leader of religion founded by a man who endorsed giving up all your possessions, has all his little red pope shoes made by prada. So much for a life of poverty, huh?

city streets, pride park, vatican ceiling, so many weddings at the colosseum!, my beautiful cousin and I at the colosseum, spanish steps, stylish italian woman, cafe, old and probably important building structures.

first outfit:
shirt: Urban Outfitters
white jeans: pac sun many years ago?
head scarf: my mother's
Second outfit:
Shirt: Urban Outfitters
Skirt: Consignment shop in downtown, it used to be to my ankles I had it hemmed
sunglasses: forever 21
Shoes: thrift town
"as a rule, men worry more about what they can't see, than what they can"

-Julius Caesar