New Europe Tour Itinerary

My brothers Jonathan and Kent updated my tour itinerary for me... I can't wait to have lunch with the pope!

ITINERARY

Thursday, Sept. 25th Salt Lake City to Rome, Idaho

10:00 a.m.—Meet at the Salt Lake City Airport—Delta International Ticketing Area
1:30 p.m.—Leave for Rome, Idaho

Friday, Sept. 26th Arrive in Rome, Idaho
10:45 a.m.—Arrive in Rome, Idaho Travel to Motel 6
12:00 noon—Motel 6 Check-in
1:00 p.m.—Lunch
2:00 p.m.—Walk to the Forum
4:00 p.m.—Walk to St. Peter in Chains/Michelangelo’s Moses
5:00 p.m.—Walk to the Colleseum
7:00 p.m.—Walk to the Trevi Fountain
8:00 p.m.—Dinner at the Pantheon
10:00 p.m.—Motel 6

Saturday, Sept. 27th Rome, Idaho
6:30 a.m.—Bernini’s Ecstasy of St.Teresa (Santa Maria Della Vittoria)
8:00 a.m.—Michelangelo’s Astronomy Church (Santa Maria Delgi Angeli)
10:00 a.m.—The Sacred Steps ( Scala Santa)
11:00 a.m.— Use St. John’s Latrine (San Giovanni in Laterano)
1:00 p.m.—Metro to Spagna (Spanish Steps), Exchange Money, Lunch
2:00 p.m.—Walk to the Galleria Borghese
3:00 p.m.—Tour the Galleria Borghese (Reservation for 2 hours only)
5:00 p.m.—View of Rome
6:00 p.m.—Walk to Piazza Del Popolo
7:00 p.m.—Visit Santa Maria Del Popolo (Caravaggio’s Peter and Paul)
10:00 p.m.—Motel 6

Sunday, Sept. 28th Rome, Idaho
8:00 a.m.—Walk to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Square and Basilica
9:00 a.m.—Visit the Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel (Last Sunday of Month Free)
1:00 p.m.—Lunch with the Pope
2:00 p.m.—Visit St. Peter’s Basilica
4:00 p.m.—Walk to Piazza Navona
5:00 p.m.—Dinner at Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, etc. etc.
7:00 p.m.—Visit the Pantheon
9:00 p.m.—Go to Motel 6 for Sacrament Meeting
10:00 p.m.—Motel 6

Monday, Sept. 29th Rome, Idaho to Pizza: 375 km- 5 hrs; Pizza to Florence: 100 km- 100 hrs
8:00 a.m.—Leave for Pizza
1:00 p.m.—Arrive in Pizza, eat Lunch at Pizza Hut
3:00 p.m.—Walk to Florence
5:00 p.m.—Arrive in Florence, Campground Check-in, Walking Tour
7:00 p.m.—Free Time, Dinner around the campfire
10:00 p.m.—Camping

Here's my real tour itinerary, in case you're interested!

ST logo --- It's done!

Thanks to the referral of my wonderful brother Jonathan, I was able to get a freelance job designing a logo for a new website where jewelry designers can buy, trade or sell their jewelry stashes. After a few trials and errors, here we have the final product:I'm pretty happy with the final product! I hope I get the job of designing the website as well! I really enjoy layout and web design.

On a closing note... how did the actors in the original Batman starring Jack Nicholson as the Joker, not spend every second of filming laughing at the crazy antics of Jack as the joker? And his face...that face...my goodness. How can you not smile while someone is grinning at you like that?

I love the new Batman: The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger was genius in his role as the joker. So insane, but so perfect. Not to mention Christian Bale as Batman. He reinvigorated my eternal desire to eat a pickle.

Getting there in one piece

My sister Cherie told me today that airlines have started charging a $15 fee to check the first piece of baggage. This includes airlines such as US Airways, and United. Luckily, i'll be flying Delta to Europe, who along with Jet Blue will only charge the fee for the second checked bag. Southwest remains my favorite of all... it's free to check bags all the way up to the third bag! I am disappointed in the fact that Southwest has raised the prices of tickets up by at least $35 one way. I am still slightly in denial over the fact that rising gas prices are bringing up the prices for food, clothing, and my airline tickets. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's the reason the American dollar looks like a peanut next to the elephant of the Euro. Right now, the conversion is:

1.00 EUR = 1.47 USD
or 1.00 USD = .69 EUR

I don't really get how the exchange rate is different, but I do know that i'll be losing 31 cents every time I buy something in Europe. I have to go to the bank here in a few days and get 100 Euros, meaning that i'll be giving about $150 for 100 Euros. Yes, this is lame.

Baggage Check News Article

Goodnight

I get to sleep on the floor tonight.

...my blanket smells like feet.

Hello home!

I've been busy since i've been home!! Here are just a couple of the things that have happened...

As many of you know, my sister Cherie married Keith Kahmann the day after I arrived home from Rexburg. It was a wonderful wedding, and it was so wonderful to see those two together. We all knew that they were made for each other!

The family


Bridesmaids!


On a more serious note, recently I lost my grandma Olsen to a stroke. I loved her so much, and it's been hard on our family, because it was just so unexpected. She was a beautiful woman, with many talents. I loved how her smile would always brighten up the room, and of course her stories. My grandma was full of so many cute stories! She passed on a love of music to her children, who in turn passed it on to their children, which is the reason for why I love music so much. My Grandma is a hero in my eyes. She is someone that I will always aspire to be. She was everything a person should be... she was always happy to be around people and made them always feel welcome, she loved everyone so dearly, and especially my grandfather after 50 years of marriage. She always told the story of how they met and fell in love, and I never got sick of it. I hope that I can lead my life as she did, and love as she did.

Grandma Olsen at her 50th wedding anniversary


Grandma and Grandpa Olsen


My cousins at the funeral


My sisters and I at the funeral


Laid to rest with the beautiful Wasatch mountain range in the background


Joan Derrick Olsen

Joan Derrick Olsen 11/11/35 ~ 02/03/06

Our beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and friend, Joan Derrick Olsen, passed from her earthly estate Friday, February 3, 2006 at home in American Fork.

Joan was devoted to her family and loved her husband, children, and grandchildren. She was known for her cheerfulness, friendliness, love, and strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was an avid storyteller and loved telling family and gospel stories. Her love for her ancestors was apparent in her genealogy and temple work. She worked in the Relief Society for many years.

The gift of music was apparent in the Olsen home as she taught her children to love music. Joan played the piano and organ in church for over 50 years. She loved children and enjoyed serving in the Cub Scout and Primary organizations. She is deeply loved and will be missed by all.

Joan was born November 11, 1935 in Logan, Utah to Irven Glade Derrick and Eva Peterson. She married her eternal sweetheart, Albert Lamoin Olsen, Jr., August 17, 1955 in the Salt Lake Temple. Joan was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Dixie Jean Derrick; and her brother, Paul Irven Derrick (Loretta). She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Albert Lamoin; her sister, Sylvia Marie Moody (Gordon); five children, Jan Marie Young (Kevin), Carolyn Ann Miles (Kerry), Alan Lee Olsen (Susan), Arlen Lynn Olsen (Laurinda), and Albert Lamoin Olsen, III (Michelle). She is also survived by 29 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 7, 2006, 10:00 a.m. at the Larkin Mortuary Chapel, 260 East South Temple Street, Salt Lake City. A public viewing will be held between 9:00-9:45 a.m. at the Larkin Mortuary. Internment will follow the services at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 South Highland Drive.

"When this life is over my greatest desire is to be with my children and my grandchildren - all of them with this wonderful feeling of content - to look back over our lives and know that we have done the best we could and to know that He will forgive our failings and weaknesses and take care of those around us who have not yet learned this charity or the pure love of Christ in their lives. I leave my testimony and my love of music to my family. Music is that which uplifts and brings peace and contentment to my soul. Much of our church music is taken from the scriptures."



I love you grandma, and hope that one day we'll be together again. You will always be in my heart.