buona pasqua!

One perk about going to a Catholic University is that religious holidays count as REAL holidays :) haha. Which meant that Easter for me was a lovely four-day weekend! Michael also came to visit which made the weekend even better, because my roommate and practically everyone on campus was away for the break!

Saturday I practiced driving a stick (Michael's car) which was very nerve-wracking to say the least. But after an hour of starting/stopping/killing the car, Michael made me drive to where we were going to out to eat dinner! (ok, so he didn't make me, but I didn't really want to face real cars!) Needless to say, I actually got the hang of it and didn't kill the car once on the way to the restaurant!

We went to the Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant Saturday night to celebrate our 6th month anniversary (which was actually Sunday) and to try something that was new for both of us (neither one of us had Moroccan before). And it was sooooooo delicious! I wish my camera was working so that I could've taken some pictures, but the next time you're in Spokane it's well worth going to. For two people we split a 5 course meal: lentil soup, Moroccan salad & bread, a Bastela Royale pastery appetizer, a main course selection, and Baklava for dessert. I tried delicious honey chicken & prunes on rice and Michael had some sort of bbq lamb with rice & veggies... Mmmmm my mouth is actually watering now just thinking about it. It was really neat, because you only use your hands to eat so bread is given to scoop up the food and eat with. We also tried hot Moroccan mint tea, which I still can't figure out what it reminds me of. Sort of like peppermint tea with honey? Except that sounds gross, and the tea was really good. Even Michael thought so :)

Sunday morning we went to mass at St. Aloysius dressed in our Easter best, except the rain was a surprise on the way over... luckily it's a short walk from my dorm to the church so we didn't get too wet! I jokingly made fun of Michael's bright and flamboyantly green tie, but laughed to myself when I saw two other guys with green tie's just like his in church! Guess that was the only Easter-ish colored tie they had too, haha.

After a fun indoor picnic we went to Red Robin for our Easter dinner (classy I know) but I was so excited after giving up greasy foods for Lent! And the bottomless steak fries and bbq burger were heaven! Unfortunately, my stomach cannot hold as much as I would like... but overall, a great Easter and weekend! If only it could last longer!

Next year though, I'll be celebrating Easter in Italy, or Pasqua. And in Florence there is a celebration called the Scoppio del Carro, which is a huge, decorated wagon that is dragged through Florence by white oxen until it reaches Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence's center where mass is. Following mass, the Archbishop sends a dove-shaped rocket into the cart, igniting the fireworks held in the cart, followed by a parade in medieval costumes.

It's still crazy to imagine this time next year I'll be just finishing up my semester in Italy! :)

Buona Pasqua!