November 16, 2008
Wow, what a couple of days! I cannot believe that I have been in rome, eating pizza, geloati, and pasta for the past 3 days. It seems too short. It’s so warm here! The funny thing about rome is that, oh, look, it’s just the forum! Oh, look, it’s the Trevi Fountain, powered by 2000 year old acqueducts! You can walk up a street and see fountains and buildings in the classic style, and it is just gorgeous. The drivers there are a tad crazy though, because along with this the streets are extremely narrow, explaining the plethora of smart cars and vespas. Even with smaller vehicles, it’s impossible to walk down the cobblestoned streets (that destroyed my new boats) without fear of being run over or accosted. By salespeople at tourist attractions and in restaurants.
We are now on our way to see the David after a brief stop in Assisi, and the countryside is as or evern more beautiful than the city. Mountains, greenery, olivetrees, mist, it’s unlike anything ive ever seen. I could imagine this as Hicksville PA or maybe Kentucky, but otherwise I ‘ve never seeen anything like this.
The first night it rained, so we postpomned our city walk until the next day. We had a fabuous dinner, complete with bread, arribiata pasta for me, and tiramisu icecream. I also had strawberry gelati before dinner though. After dinner, I went out with Sarah Flak, her friends in rome, and some other girls form the program. Ashley wanted to try absinthe, as did Paul. We ran into Kathryn on the street who decided to tag along. That night in the bar, we ran into Alex and her friends in Rome! Small world, it was like all of AU was in this one bar. They told us that Kathryn vomited and they kicked her out, but of course she refused to go home like an immature bitch and she proceeded to drink absinthe!!! I had a bellini and enjoyed seeing some of Alex’s friends and hanging out with Ashlee. I went home rather early because I was exhausted.
The next day, we went to the Vatican. Again, I didn’t appreciate how some people were putting it dwon becaseu it did not pertain to their religion. It’s not my religion either, but I can admire the art and architecture! For instance, Madeline has a charm bracelet and found the cutest charm of the pieta, which I thought would be fitting as a work of art. She said, I don’t’ do religion. I don’t want it. It’s michaelangelo for christ’s sake!
The whole city was beautiful. It was refreshing to have a tour guide who told jokes, as this one did when he asked if we had our passports. The Sistine chapel was simply overwhelming. I was not expecting the ceiling to be so high up and for the altar art of the final judgement to be so huge! Standing there, I could only think that this was painted 500 years ago and we can still enjoy it today. 500 years ago! I just wanted to lay on the ground and continue to stare at it. I did take a few pictures illegally, because you cannot take pictures not for fear of preserving the art, but because Japanese and American businessmen hold the copywright! How crazy !
The basilica, the largest cathedral in the world, was incredible. Absolutely gorgeous. I , of course, was immediately drawn to the pieta, which was exactly ho I imagined it would be. I definitely just crash landed into Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons! I only wish we had a tad more time there.
Ashlee, Rachel, Vanessa, Madelin and I had lunch at a little bistro by the Vatican where you could get pizza, a drink, and gelato for only 10 euro. So, we did that, and I got a glass of wine with margherita pizza and straticella ice dcream. So good!
We met up at 530 in the Piazza del Popolo for our walking tour. The only issue I had with the waling tour was that our professors did not lead the way, and we would get lost. I mean, a 2 hour tour took actually 3, and when we’re all hungry and wearing uncomfortable shoes for going out it was not pretty. We saw the Spanish steps, the fountain of Triton, the Trevi Fountain (where stupid sellers were all over the place and tricked me into buying a flower. I was pissed because I didn’t want it, but no, I was stupid). We saw the pantheon,, and then crossed the river to our final restaurant location. We had the BEST dinner ever! I had croquets, garlic bread, lots and lots of wine, shrimmpl white pizza. Sooo good! After dinenr, I wandered with Kaitlin, Ryan, and Jess (again, Kathryn followed us) and we walked around. We got gelato again (cherry and raspberry this time) and as we’re sitting on the steps, Jess gets a call from Zach Green! We go to meet up with him in the same plaza wehre I was last night. While there, who do I run into but Alex Grabowski! Oh my god, I was so happy to see someone outside of the program that I’m friends with! So I go into a bar with him and meet his friends, and then we go outside to go to another bar and I see Zach talking to Sarah Block and Jess. So I just go up behind him and give him a hug. He’s like, who is this OH MY GOD! I can’t believe you’re here!
It was great.
We then all went to Scholars, another bar in the area, and we all hung out for a while until about 2 am, when we go back to the hotel. Still, it was the best night ever, and made me unable to wait until next semester.
So the next day, yesterday, we we explored Ancient RFome. First stop, the early Christian Catacombs. These were creepier than the Parisian catacombs because the aisles were so narrow and completely made of rock, and you can just imagine being shoved into one of the holes in the wall, bricked in, and forgotten. I was sorta happy to get outtta there.
We then went to the Colisseum. Again, people were there HARASSING the tourists to buy stuff. We went inside, and because we are American students and not European, it cost over 400 euros for all 25 students to enter! How ridiculous! But it was so cool to be there and dimagine what it must have been like once upon a time.
Nnext stop – the Roman Forum, badly preserved because the popes would have people ransack it for its marble. It was actually sad that this is all that remains of the ancient civilization. Our tour guide was rather bland today, but we overheard another tour guide who was fabulous – reminded me of Mr. Cherepko.
Sarah Flak, Rachel and I got pizza at a local place before getting gelato (banana and peach). I went shopping with Rachel, and then headed back to the hotel. I got dressed for dinner, and we had a dinner of pesto pasta, salad, and chicken. After dinner, I again hung out with sarah flak, her friends, Pauline, and tony. We sat on the Spanish steps, and enjoyed conversation with a few Spaniards from Cadiz (complete coincidence!)
We are now on our way to the Galleria. Assisi this afternoon was beautiful, completely idyllic European city.
Til later!
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