Day 33 & 34: Saturday and Sunday in the Palace

SATURDAY

Ohhhhhh the joys of sleeping in! We blacked out the room again (feels like forever since we've been able to do this) by closing every window blind and we caught up on a weeks worth of sleep. When I started stirring at 11:00, I thought -- "you've got to be kidding me... its that late?!" Because if you know me, I am not one to sleep in and waste the day away. But I decided this would be my last time, in probably a month, that I'd be able to sleep in... so I embraced it. I got rolling around 12:00 (about the same time as everyone else in the Palace) and then didn't do too much. Maybe one of my most unproductive days (though I did publish a post, redecorate the background of my blog and do a Jillian Michaels work out video) -- but that's ok! Everyone kind of did their own things, and around 6:00 a few of us went over the Pizza Maxi for a little dinner. The caterer ladies had been setting up in the kitchen all day, so we weren't allowed to go in there and mess it up! Roberta's wedding was earlier in the morning on Saturday, but her wedding party got started around 9:30 in the Palace. All of us got dressed up and went out into the main room to greet our guests. People started coming in, the caterers brought some more food, and before we knew it -- there was the bride walking in our front doors! She looked absolutely gorgeous and she was just beaming! She made her rounds, saying hello to everyone (and doing the Italian "kiss kiss"). Then the wine was uncorked, the food was served and the DJ got the jams pumping. We had us an Italian throw-down in the Palace! It was hysterical and so much fun! We were all just dancing and laughing... you have to love weddings! The party went late into the night (I think it was around 3:00 a.m. when the music stopped), so even though we had migrated back to our rooms -- all of us probably didn't go to bed until the music was off. It was a successful night and I am so happy for Roberta! I am thankful I was here to experience that -- it really was once in a lifetime.

Here are some pictures from the night:

{The kitchen before the caterers brought all the food...}

{... and after the caterers came}

{A few of us waiting for the guests to arrive}

{The beaming bride!!}

{After the bride made a quick outfit change (don't want to risk red wine on the wedding dress), she hit the dance floor -- where we immediately flocked to her and formed a big dance circle around her}

{The men (with the groom in the middle) lined up, doing their dance -- I forgot what song it was to...}

{This is Maurizio -- one of the main coordinators in our program and probably the funniest and sweetest man in Italy!}

{again... Maurizio}

{And the whole group joined in -- including his wife, Rosella, in the left corner!}

{Roberta's version of a wedding cake}

{Cutting the fruit tart}

Now isn't that just precious?! Good way to spend our Saturday night!

SUNDAY

I can guarantee every single one of you had a more exciting day than I did because this is what my rainy Sunday consisted of:

• Waking up at 10:30Going to the kitchen to get coffee and breakfast, then getting back in bed
• Uploading some pictures on my computer (while lying in bed)
• Stalking these two blogs: THIS and THIS
• After stalking those two blogs.. I made a list of all the recipes I want to try when I get back to Auburn (while lying in bed)
• Not changing out of my pajamas until 3:00, when a group of us did Jillian Michaels (using left over Fanta liters from the wedding party as weights)
• Watching the Italy soccer game in my jersey (it ended in a tie... again)
• Laundry
• Aaaaannddddd that about wraps it up!

{This was my afternoon -- feet propped up on the couch, watching Friends (hallelujah) on the projector screen}

I hope everyone had a good weekend and that all you father's out there enjoyed your special day! I know it is well deserved. Hope you like the make-over of the blog... it's become a recent obsession of mine and I'm trying to not let my perfectionist side of me take over... good luck with this, right? Ciao :)