Ending with a BANG in Roma!

Although I have only been in Italy for a mere three weeks, it seems like a year. You are planning, laughing, and exploring with people you did not know a month ago. It is crazy! My final weekend in Roma was just that. Ending with the beautiful capital of Italy was just the cherry on top to a wonderful summer abroad.

To save money, my friends and I decided to take a night train. We could sleep on the way there, not pay for a hostel Thursday night, and it was the cheapest train we could find. What a great idea, right? Wrong.

First, our three-hour lay-over turned into a two and a half hour sitting and waiting for the train. We were originally going to walk around Mestre for the night, but after a half an hour, we realized we probably should not be wondering the streets alone when there was not soul to be seen in our vicinity. So, we turned around and headed back to the train station. Fortunately, we had a kindle to keep us entertained with hangman and monopoly (ps. If you’re packing for studying abroad, I definitely suggest downloading some games that do not require internet access for moments like these!)

However, soon enough, we heard the rumbling of the train barreling toward us. As always, it was mass chaos as everyone was trying to board the train, but we all made it on. Next, find the beds and sleep! When we originally booked our tickets, we paid a little extra to ride in the “sleeper” car of the train because we knew we wanted a good night sleep before we toured the city. Our ticket said car 5 and after a while a squeezing and wiggling through the swarms of people, we made it. We opened the door to the “sleeper” car, and phew! A huge gust of smells and must surrounded us. It was dark, but we could make out six chairs (yes chairs) which one was already occupied. The four of us stumbled in, and all looked at each other. After the realization hit, we all giggled quietly knowing that the next six hours were… not going to go by quickly. Sure enough, we were all twisting and turning for the entire trip. When the morning alarm went off at 5:50 in the morning, we were just as exhausted as when we started.

Why am I telling you this? Because, you need to read the fine print when purchasing tickets for “sleeper” cars. It does not guarantee a bed! In the end, we still made it to Roma, and after a quick two hour nap and we were ready to hit the town.

We had previously purchased tickets to the Vatican museum for Friday afternoon, and decided to visit the coliseum in the morning because we figured there would be less crowding.

I had previously seen picture of the coliseum and have even been in the one in Verona, but I was astonished at the size when we were walking up.

To think they built such a massive and impressive coliseum way back when was breath taking. We spent over two hours when we were inside! There was so much to read and learn about. Plus, we had to take plenty of pictures of course!

Next on our list, was the Vatican! Upon choosing which country I wanted to visit, Italy became my top priority for mostly one reason: the Vatican! I was sooo excited, and with our tickets we were able to skip the two hour line that was waiting in the blistering sun. Once inside, I could tell it was going to be the most beautiful building I had ever been in, and I was right. Every wall and ceiling of the two miles of museums was covered in hand painted glorious images. Gold trim surrounded every corner, and the statutes were in finite detail. Once again, we spent hours uncovering each room in the museum. From the Raphael Chambers to the Sistine Chapel, we made sure we did not miss anything.

Finally, we found some supper and were ready to call it a night. After all, the past 24 hours had been pretty long!

When we woke up on Saturday, we could spend the rest of our time relaxing and enjoying some of the other sites Roma has to offer. We saw the Spanish steps, the Roman forum, and threw our euros in the Trevi fountain!

Roma is so full of rich history, it is hard to not to stumble upon beautiful basilicas and past ruins.

On the final day, we of course wanted to see the Pope! Making our way back to St. Peters square, we were able to hear him give a blessing from his apartment window. I could not think of a better way to end my adventures of traveling within the CIMBA program.

On the train home, the sad realization hit that my friends and I would no longer be exploring Europe together anymore. We are already planning some reunions back in the states.

As for me, I am excited to continue to my travels as my mother joins me for another ten days in Europe. We will be heading to Venice, Paris and London. Ciao for now, and I wish you all good luck in your future endeavors!

Grazie,

Olivia