io amo L'italia

Ciao Belli!
So here is the update: Rome still rocks. My buddy Maura is here to visit for the weekend. She is studying in Spain and made a long weekend to visit me. So we are going to all the sights. My roomates left for the beach today which is good to just hang out and do our own thing around rome. I'm going to the touristy places that i normally wouldnt have because i live here. We met a whole bunch of americans last night at the bar, even some girls from maryland. Im having a ton of fun.
We had our first week of classes this past week which went really well all my classes are super interesting, especially my religion class which is The History of the Papacy, because my classroom is 2 blocks from said papacy.
I just got back from lunch with Fr. Roach who was the headmaster at Prep when pat, john, Cr, and nick were there. He knows the fam real well and i am good friends with beth who is his niece, she works at prep now. He took us to the jesuit headquarters right outside the vatican and that has a redic view of all of rome. He is the Secratary of Education for all of the Jesuit Schools in the world. We had a real nice lunch and we plan to meet up later.
Me and maura are finalizing our plans for Ireland which i am siked for! we wanna spend a couple days in dublin then go to galway. It should be great. also i might meet up with maura in prague over thanksgiving because her folks are gonna be there and will house me. but that means i have to tell the director of the program im skipping our thanksgiving thing and she is psycho so we'll see what happens.
Mom and Gma and Sisterpat come a week from tomorrow which will be cool to see them. Im getting ready for that (and by that i mean warning all the wine bar owners), can't to see everyone!!!
thats all i got for now.

ciao tutti.

Everyone please keep in your prayers Phil Sackett and his family, Phil died in a car accident in Australia on monday. Phil went to prep and graduated in 2003. He was a great guy and was on the wrestling and lacrosse teams. We will miss you phil...

the greatest city in the world.

Hey everyone.
Today we woke up early to go to mass in st. peters but the line was so long it wrapped around the whole square. so that plan got axed. yesterday i went to see moms hotel it was really nice. There are palm trees and its gated. It is like a little over 2 miles from my house but its not an easy walk by any means. I will prob take the metro. not much more news, oh... i finally start school tomorrow. Which i am looking forward to finally having a schedule. My university is less then a mile from my casa.and i have to walk through san peitro's square to get there which is really cool.
jcu peeps- i hope u all had fun at homecomming. i wish i could have been there.
nwb peeps- i hope that u all are having fun in your senior year.

ciao belli


ps. HAPPY Belated BIRTHDAY STACY ROSE!!!!

rome is still sweet.

Hey everyone im all settled in the eternal city. It is breath taking. My apartment is 3 blocks from the Vatican. I go to St. Peters Square to waste time during the day, how crazy is that. I am living with 4 other guys and its great. We have to buy food for every meal and cook which i am not used to yet. but tonight im having some of the girls cook for us. Later today we are thinking about climbing to the top of st. peters basilica to check it out. on my running route in the morning i run by st. peters square, castel st. angelo, then along the Tiber, then do my warm down run in st. peters basilica....how many people can say that. haha.
So far we have seen the St. Peters basilica, the catacombs, the colosseum, the roman forum, the trevi fountain, the Gesu (the world headquarters for the jesuits) and pantheon. Classes start next week. our university, urbania, is in the vatican. if you are looking at the basilica from st. pete's square its behind the wall on the left and my apartment is in the other direction the right, only like a 15 min walk.
there are tourists everywhere and i laugh and them because im not a tourist, im a resident of rome. the asian ones are the worst..... oh how i love me some asians.

sr. pat- be sure to wear the cape and learn the secret handshake so you can take me in the secret clergy doors. there are a gaggle of nuns here. tons of 'em.

on wednesday we are meeting the cardinal who is president of our university and then having dinner with him.


thats all for now,everyone should get skype so we can talk. its free to call over the internet.
ciao, matteo.

mambo, mambo italiano

hey everyone! well since the last time i posted we went to a winetasting at a vineyard. it was so fun. we toured the factory then had this 5 course meal and learned how to drink wine correctly and how to pour and when to drink what wine with what food and so on. great time. i learned alot and the wine was so good. i was showing everyone how to pour correctly they all wondered why i was so good at it, haha when i told them i have been uncorking wine since kindergarden then didnt believe me... then again these italians dont know how the irish celebrate.
see mom im always making you proud. haha

i move to rome on sunday and prob wont check email till im settled there sometime next week.

please call me! its free for me when you call so please please please call i miss everyone.

its intresting in my time here ive seen alot and learned alot about the italian culture but at the same time i feel like an outsider, not only am i not italian im an american. but being here has made me embrace my own culture and heritage all the more because you realize where you come from.


some things ive learned:
italians dont like irish people, ive learned that the hard way.
they dont like meatballs
they dont eat bread with pasta.
every meal is 3 hours long.
they are very cocky and think the term "roman catholic" only apply to them, yet none of them go to church
they seem not to have any culture.... you may wonder what i mean because i am in the country of all the classic artists. they have old culture.... no new culture. example..... paris hilton is their favorite song, i know i hate it too. they all wear Nike and Polo clothes
food is an art here.
americans need to learn to slow down.
we are fat. they are skinny and everyone is good looking.
someone in a bar said i look like a "young john f kennedy"....so i got that goign for me. haha


ciao. i love and miss u all.

2 weeks in....

so we have been here 2 weeks and here is an update.
- we have climbed 5 mountains
-seen 4 castles
- had 5 masses with the archbishop
-1 mass with the cardinal
- i got a papal indulgence
-we climbed the highest mountain in Appenines the GRAND SASSO, 7, 200 ft.
-swam in the adriatic sea
-we were recieved inthe ArchBishops house/ residence
-saw the medici tower
-toured one of italys most beautiful towns
-sang kareoke in italian... wow that was fun
-toured 30 churches
- seen roman ruins that were around since before christ
-saw a church charlengne built in 700s
- i became a relic... yes its a loing story

bellissimo...

Hey Team! yesterday we went to the beach all day, which as you know. i LOVED we were on the mediteranean in the adriatic sea. amazing weather. and to fit in with the locals.... i wore the speedo, yep i did haha. it was a great time. today we are touring around some more. on wed we are climbing the highest mountain in italy, the grand sasso. it is redic we drove under it yesterday. hope all is well at home. wish i was there, mom sorry i missed your call a few days ago try again whenever you want if i dont pick up. i prob didnt hear it.

i havent lost anything yet which is a huge shocker.

peace love and laughter.

ciao