Roll Tide!!!!!!!!!!!

So my sweet, sweet Nick stayed up all night and watched the game, texted me updates (that woke me up but I was delirious), and talking to April my love.  Then, when the game was over, a few minutes before 6, Nick called to tell me that we were ONCE AGAIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow...I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!  He told me the score and how it should have been a shut out...but who cares...BACK TO BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was so so so so so so so so so so excited!!  Nick hung up to go get about an hour of sleep before he had to get up for work!  I know that he did not stay up just for me, but I thought it was so sweet of him to keep me updated when I was way too exhausted to even get up at the alarm I set, and then I thought it was so sweet that he was talking to my bestest April!

So, I ran in to tell my momma.  I told her I needed to shake her hand and congratulate her on being National Champions again!  We then got a little bit more sleep...though my momma had been awake for a while wondering about the game! Anyway, so when we were all up, we decided to wear as much Bama to school as possible.  I wore my houndstooth skirt with my Alabama scarf, pins on my coat, and an elephant necklace.  My momma and Barbara wore the Alabama beads that we had, and some pins!  We were decked out for our 15th National Championship win!! ROLL TIDE!!!

I knew that this morning would be rough...it was Lilla's class.  Lilla picked us up for school and then we went to class with her.  I was right...it was rough...I tried to get them to talk to my momma and such, and to tell me about their break, but they wouldn't.  I had to use some of my football pictures and told them about us winning the National Championship; they did clap for us, so that was fun!  Then I was dying for something to talk about, so we somehow ended up looking at a map and talking about what states they wanted to see.  I just wanted this class to end.  Those students (all but about 5 or 6 of them) are so rude and disrespectful.  I just wanted it to be over with as quickly as possible.

Picture Barbara took of me "teaching" with Lilla's students

When it was finally over with, Lilla told us that she would meet us at the bar at the end of the next hour.  So, we sat where the couches are, and I saw Francesca, and she liked the Vera Bradley bags I had given her.  Oops...Virginia got hers yesterday and LOVED them!! :)  Anyway, then my landlord actually showed up at the school; she used to work with them and she was there to see the principal.  I was happy that my momma got to meet her, and it was good to see Lila.

After Lilla's other class was over, we met her in the bar for cappuccino and cornettos.  It was a bit much on the sweets for me...but I had some.  It is always so sweet of them to do that for me (us), so you cannot turn it down! 

Then we went upstairs, and I was dreading Francesca's class.  I was sooo wrong about this group today though!  They were amazing!  They were interactive and engaged.  They talked to my momma and Barbara...they suggested foods that they needed to try...they told me about their break...and then they planned a party for us tomorrow.  One boy's father makes homemade wine, and so Francesca said he could bring some, but the students COULD NOT have any.  UMM...YOU CANNOT FIND THAT IN THE UNITED STATES!!  THey were so awesome today, and it just made me so happy that this class really came out of their shell a bit today!

We were also able to talk a few pictures of us at school in our Alabama gear! We also got a picture with Angelino because he was not going to be there the next day!

Roll Tide from Cosenza, Italy

Angelino, Barbara, Me, my momma, and Francesca

 So, when class was over, we went and caught the student bus to come home.  We had to stop at the grocery store for a few quick things, and took these pictures by the fountain in Piazza Europa.

We also had to stop and get some fruit and veggies on the way home.  My momma loved these peppers!

After this, we came home to eat lunch, rest, and I am pretty sure I talked to Nick and April!  I want it to be noted that I DID let my momma and Barbara rest/nap most days, if not every day!  :)  Also, it does not hurt that Cosenza shuts down between 1 and 4; haha!

However, once nap time was over, we had to book it to the river.  I REALLY wanted them to see the sunset over the river and from the church above the rivers.  It is one of my favorite views, and it had been so sunny all day, so I knew that they could not miss it!  I think they would agree that the fast walk was worth the views.

 

 

 From here, we walked up to where my favorite church is here in Cosenza.  It also offers spectacular views of the city/river, especially at sunset!  It made me so happy that we made it in time to see the gorgeous sky!  I mean doesn't it just look like God took a paintbrush and made beautiful brushstrokes across the blue canvas!  I love it!  I was also excited that a smaller church "attached" to the bigger one was open for the first time; well, the first time that I'd been there and it was open!  The churches here are just so beautiful!

 Now who didn't fit in the doors?? Haha.  Then we went inside the bigger church and HOLY COW their Nativity was awesome!  I had not seen it, but it was definitely one of  the best ones, especially in a church, that I have seen.  I would venture to say that it was better than the one set up in St. Peter's in Rome.  They were making the "time of day" change, and stars and a moon would come out; it was just amazing!  

 

And, with the theme of the trip in mind, "it's really not that far", we started climbing up the hill near the church so that they could get a wonderful view of the historical center from "afar".  I love this view, and when I go there and see Cosenza Vecchio from this perspective, it always reminds me that I live in Italy!!! Holy cow, what does that even mean?? 

Anyway, the museum was sadly closed,but they were able to see the beautiful building that it is housed in, so that was nice!  We stopped in a small grocery store nearby and looked around.  WHen I tried to tell the guy that we were just looking (in Italian), he just looked at me and said, 'no speak Italian??" Well, thanks for that confidence booster dude...Nick later said that he was just being mean!  Thanks for the vote of confidence Nick! Haha! 

After this, we crossed the river into the historical center, and walked towards the Duomo to see if we could find my momma's tiles she wanted more of, but the guy was not there selling anymore!  So, we started our descent and trip back to Corso Mazzini.  We did stop in one of the churches near Corso Mazzini that Lilla took me to once, but did not allow time for pictures.  The mosaics in this church were beautiful, and so I am really glad that we decided to stop in and look. 

Jesus giving Peter the keys to the kingdom! 

When we left the church, we made our way down Corso Mazzini, and tried to stop in the chocolate store, but they were closed for inventory! Oh well, another day!  We did stop in my favorite bookstore and I bought two Harry Potter books in Italian to send home with her!  Yay for Italian Harry Potter! 

So, we went home to make dinner.  FINALLY, I would get to make my favorite dinner for them! 

Wearing Nick's HUGE sweatpants...

 I made chicken, veggies, and pasta.  After dinner we just relaxed and hung out! 

ROLL TIDE...HOLY COW...15...My favorite number has always been 16...so here's hoping! ;)  In the meantime though, ROLL TIDE....back to back...#15...we're the best!