When in Rome… (Yes, please continue)

There was no question as to what country I wanted to go to when I decided to study abroad. I have grown up with proud Italian roots, I have spent the majority of my life in Catholic school, and the most of the meals cooked in my household are indeed, you guessed it: Italian. I grew up very close to my great-grandparents, who were the typical loud-mouthed, passionate Italian family. With all of that being said, it has been impossible for me to travel around Italy without my family on the forefront of my mind. My parents always reminisce on their travels through Rome, and my sister spent a semester studying there as well. I knew I had no choice but to visit the eternal city while abroad. I held very high expectations, made a list of all the places I wanted to see, and spent the first half of my second travel weekend exploring Rome. I have hesitated to write about my trip to Rome because it is in indescribable city. I can tell you where I went, what I did and the art that I saw, but neither writing nor pictures capture the feeling of Rome. Walking the cobblestone streets surrounded by ancient ruins, with the forum on my right and the Coliseum up ahead, I feel like I went back in time and am walking the streets during the Roman Empire.

We got there Wednesday night after a long journey of connecting train rides through Italy. After dropping off our backpacks, my friends and I went to our first stop: the Trevi Fountain. We were winding the streets of Rome as we followed the signs in the general direction, figuring we would just know it when we got there.  But to my surprise, we knew it before we even got there. As we were walking through a narrow road of winding corners and tall buildings, I could hear the water crashing and I could see a bright light glowing in the plaza up ahead. Carved into the side of a building, this fountain is so much bigger and much more majestic than the pictures and movies make it seem. We spent the rest of the night admiring the fountain, having a few drinks, and tossing our coins in to ensure our return back to Rome.

Because it was such a beautiful day outside, we spend Thursday walking all throughout Rome to see the sights. We mapped out a route, and started making our way to our first destination: The Coliseum. On our way, we passed Piazza del Campidoglio and made our way to the Imperial Forums, which is where the Trajan Column stands. This took us to the doorsteps of the Coliseum.

From the Coliseum, we passed the Arch of Constantine to make our way to Palatine Hill.  We walked the winding path overlooking the Roman Forum. I could imagine the criminal trials, philosophical arguments and market bartering happening here, as I placed myself in the footsteps of emperors, gladiators and artists.

We took a break at Scholar’s Irish Pub to rest our feet and quench our thirst.

Next stop: the Pantheon. This iconic building speaks for itself.  We walked through the giant Corinthian columns into the building to view the oculus that opened up to the sky in the center of the massive concrete dome. I can’t imagine what it would be like on a rainy day.

 

From the Pantheon, we made our way to Piazza del Popolo. Merchants were trying to sell trinkets and toys to all the passerbys as we admired the obelisk and fountain.

To get to the Spanish Steps, we took a road that meandered along a hill lined with palm trees overlooking all of Rome. We came up on the Spanish Steps as the sun was setting. Everyone else had the same idea—it was so crowded.

We made our way back to the hostel, ate dinner and then started the night off in Piazza Navona. We found a bench in front of Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers and drank wine, ate gelato and people watched. We finished off the night at a bar called The Drunken Ship, where we met up with tons of other CIMBA students to have a good time.

On Friday we woke up bright and early to make it to Vatican City. We went to the museum first, where we saw countless Michelangelo’s and Raphael’s and of course, the Sistine Chapel. It was so magnificent and detailed; I could have stared at it for days. We stopped and ate lunch at a little Italian restaurant before making it to St. Peter’s Basilica. I had pasta, tiramisu and two cannoli (okay, they were really good…). I’m glad we took a break to relax and eat because we had a long wait in the cold rain trying to get in to St. Peter’s. I have been to so many beautiful churches since I have been in Europe but nothing compares… Every inch of the building was so incredibly ornate and beautiful. There was a sense of serenity within the whole sanctuary and reverence from tourists of all religions. I have seen pictures and have learned about the Vatican in all of my Theology classes growing up so it was so special to be able to go to the home of the Catholic Church. My only wish is that one day I can come back and attend a service, hopefully with better weather!

Once we left the Vatican, it was time to grab our bags and get on a train to Salerno, which is a city on the Amalfi Coast. We spent the rest of the weekend recovering from the hustle and bustle of Rome: enjoying the beautiful coastline, sipping on limoncello and hiking through the coastal towns.

Week 7: February 26- March 2