Scarred for Life

So apparently, there are about 50 stray cats per block living in Ariccia that are extremely sketchy and always lurking in the shadows. Tuesday afternoon Cinzia (super cool 29 year old Italian teacher that feels more like our friend) took the group to visit the neighboring city, Genzano. She helped us with the public bus system, but hopefully that will be one of the few times I have to ride. We were left free to wander around and have dinner. I ate gelato for the first time- 2 scoops of fragola (strawberry) and 1 scoop pesca (peach) = delicious! Needless to say, that will be the first of many gelato stops! You might not recognize me due to severe weight gain when I return to the States. So later we decided to walk back to Ariccia from Genzano because it felt so great outside. As Abby and I were admiring the beautiful landscape and appreciating the beauty of the tree-lined side walk, we both simultaneously spot a dead, smelly, nasty cat just a few steps ahead. I could have sworn that it was looking at me because I had been complaining about the stray cat problem earlier. I know it doesn't sound that disgusting and repulsive, but going from complete awe and fulfillment to a moment of holding down your dinner was a pretty intense moment. And in that moment, I felt scarred...for life. I'm thinking that it is a sign that I should learn to appreciate and cherish the influx of animal life in Ariccia...