When in Rome

Once again, here I am almost a MONTH behind on my blogging. By now the program is over, but I will try and recall everything I can about my last couple trips. Hopefully this will help me look back years down the road and remember just exactly what I did this crazy time abroad.

SO Rome Rome Rome.

Once again, I found a place that I LOVED. Rome, like Paris, exceeded my initial expectations. My inner history nerd really came out during our trip to Rome. It seemed that everywhere I turned I would come across an ancient ruin. There were so many things to see, and even though my school and I were there for only 4 days, I think I was able to see a lot.

I really could go on and on but Ill try and just recall the highlights.

So Rome, like Venice was another school sponsored trip. The school put us up in this beautiful 4 star hotel about a 10min walk from the Coliseum. Each day we would spend half a day with the advisors and the rest of the day scouting for good food.

The day we arrived our group went to the Vatican. This trip was interesting for me. Interestingly it was almost underwhelming after all the Renaissance art I have seen. Don’t get me wrong, it was absolutely beautiful, but I found myself looking up at the Sistine Chapel… and having enough after about 3 minutes. Which is both horrible and amazing at the same time. I have seen so many amazing pieces of art and architecture this semester, it is unbelievable. At the same time I am a little ashamed not to have been more impressed.

Its Holy Water if I filled it at the Vatican, right?

We ate dinner that night at a place right up the street from our hotel. This is where I had my first truffle pasta dish. I am now OBSESSED. Which is unfortunate for my bank account once I come back home.

The next day we knocked out a huge part of Rome. Highlights included the Pantheon, the Coliseum, and the Foro Romano. This was probably my favorite day. In the Pantheon there is a circular hole in the ceiling. For some reason, which no one knows why, rain never gets through this hole into the Pantheon. It is amazing. The Coliseum and Foro too were breathtaking. I personally love ruins, so I was in heaven. Especially the Foro (or the Forum), which I did not know was in Rome, just blew me away. It is so crazy to think of the civilization that once existed. It really is a shame that there is no intact equal today.

This day was especially special because it really marked the peak of my friendships with my peers. I had so much fun with my friends in Rome. We finally hit the point in the semester that we can be the goofiest with each other without holding back. I laughed so much that weekend. It really enhanced the weekend.

That night with my friends we tried Apertivo at this place right next to the Coliseum then ventured to the Trevi Fountain. I think I like the Trevi Fountain most at night. It really is quite beautiful.

Day 3 highlights included the Trevi Fountain (this time with the school) and the Spanish Steps. The rest of the things were cool, but not stand outs.

That night was interesting. My friends and I decided as a midbreak hurrah, we would check out the nightlife for once. We had such a fun night. After dinner we checked out the oh-so-famous Ice Bar. How it works is you pay for entry into a cold ice chamber. The company provides you with these thick ponchos for warmth. Once inside you can dance and hang out while trying to fight the cold. It was really really fun! We actually lasted longer than we expected, probably about and hour and a half. After that, we decided to venture to a warmer venue, taking us in the city to another restaurant.

At the Ice Bar, even the glasses were made of Ice!!

At about 1am, we decided to call it a night. It was lightly raining, like it had been all weekend. A group of about 8 of us began to cross the street back towards our hotel. In the middle of crossing, one car failed to stop. It ended up hydroplaning, swerving into my friend Ashley and I. Seeing that car was not slowing down, I started running away. In the end it only hit my thumb. Ashley on the other hand got hit full on. She was thrown a bit, but luckily she was okay.

I am so impressed by my friends. After the crash, they all snapped into action. People got on the phone with the ambulance and the hotel. People calmed Ashley while dealing with the medics and the people in the car.

The passenger in the car was pretty shaken up. Ironically, it was me who was calming her down. She was physically shaking, trying to explain to me how the car skid instead of stopped.

I eventually left the middle of the road and went to the curb with my friends. There I finally got to sit and take it all in.

It is crazy. The first question any Italian asked us was “Are you drunk are you drunk.” We were in a cross walk, all other cars were stopping and it automatically was assumed that WE were in the wrong.

The rest of the night passed quickly. Ashley was sent to the hospital to double check that nothing was broken. In the end she was badly bruised, but otherwise okay. I walked back to the hotel with my friends were we woke up our teacher advisors to fill them in. That is when it all hit me, how bad it could have been.

The next day was rough. I was exhausted, in the end I went to bed around 3AM. That day our school took an excursion to Tivoli and Villa D’Este. The fresh air, sassy teachers/tour guides, and great friends cured my spirits. By the time we were headed back to Florence, I was back to sorts.

I am so glad that it wasn’t worse. I am so glad it happened when friends surrounded me. It was definitely a wake up call about American Stereotypes and crazy American drivers. Yet, I still love Rome. This one experience did not taint the beautiful ancient city.