When in Rome . . .

Trevi Fountain

I cannot believe a week has passed since I last wrote. I'm praying that the morning I wake up and the semester ends remains a part of the somewhat distant future—goodness knows my time in Rome went by all too quickly!

Colosseum

Part of the Gonzaga in Florence (hereafter referred to as GIF) program includes an opening tour, which provided me with an opportunity to travel without having to worry about any logistics whatsoever . . . other than which suitcase I was going to bring. I piled onto a tour bus with about 80 other spring semester students for a four hour drive to the città eterna. Most of my time was spent drooling over the Tuscan hillsides, spotting villas and vineyards, and attempting to curb my anxiousness to get to the city. Luckily I had nothing to worry about; Rome provided the best beginning I could have ever hoped for. Although I have homework (already), I can only attempt to write a brief account of an amazing weekend.

We boarded the bus in Florence relatively early on Thursday. Staring out over the countryside, I could sense the age of the land, and I found myself mentally fighting my assumption that every pile of rocks or street of cobblestones was ancient and somehow important. Granted, in central Rome this is not the case since the eternal city is nicknamed that for a reason. With pedestrians only slightly less numerous than ancient sites, Rome drips with both opulence and history.

Pantheon Skylight

After we arrived and settled into our hotels we embarked on our first adventure in the city: locating an excellent gelateria! Larry, a coordinator for the tour, took a group of us to his favorite gelateria in Rome, which offers over 100 flavors. Thanks to GIF I enjoyed every lick of hazelnut and dark chocolate with raspberry. Sooooooo good! Later, we regrouped for a three hour walking tour of Rome by night. With my guide's voice percolating from the rather uncomfortable headphone in my ear I dodged errant motorbikes as we wound our way through the narrow cobblestoned streets where gladiators, emperors, philosophers, mathematicians, and artists of antiquity once wandered. We saw most of the famous sites such as the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain (where tossing a coin over the shoulder guarantees a speedy return to Rome, a second coin secures a Roman lover, and a third provides marriage to the said lover) and the Spanish Steps. With tired feet and an empty stomach, I enjoyed every bite of the rather large dinner we were served—four courses later my friends practically had to roll me back to the hotel.

The next morning I went on another walking tour of Jesuit-related sites with Father Bryan, the former chaplain to GIF who has been living in Rome for a few years working on his doctorate. Having a "local" show us the places that wouldn't be on a typical tour was super interesting! For instance, I got to see where St. Aloysius Gonzaga and St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Jesuit order) were buried,  interior of the Pantheon (which was closed during our evening tour), and I even touched a statue carved by Michelangelo! After lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe—no matter how far I go Americana is right behind me—we went to the Villa Borghese. One of the well-known art museums in Rome, I was absolutely blown away by the sculptures of Bernini. To think that stone could look so lifelike! Absolutely incredible! 

Miles and miles of Roman skyline

A few friends and I decided to spend an evening on the town, and headed to first to see the Colosseum. Although it was closed and I never got a chance to get inside, I believe I couldn't have seen it at a more magical time than during the evening. All lit up, the ancient archways and columns stand so solidly and stately against the modern skyline—a testament to the enduring legacy of its builders. Incredible. From the Colosseum we wandered through the Trastavere area on the west side of the il fiume di Tevere (Tiber river), south of the Vatican city. There, we found an Italian ristorante, where a small group of us sat street-side (yes, in January) and ate rather authentic Italian meal. An appetizer, a prima piatta, a seconda piatta, and two bottles of wine later, I found myself sharing a wonderful evening with great company in the city I came to love.

Corinthian Columns at the Vatican

The next day the group departed from the hotels rather early to take a tour of the Vatican Museum St. Peter's Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel—the last of which was certainly the highlight! Despite the fervor of nervous activity and disrespectful photo-taking that engulfed me as we entered the chapel, the profundity of the experience moved me beyond petty annoyance. To look up at the famous fresco of Michelangelo and appreciate the the gravity and symbolism it holds as both a masterpiece and a religious representation made the moment memorable. Especially under the creation of Adam fresco—the all-famous hand of God reaching out for the lifeless and unworthy hand of man—I choked up a bit. Dinner that evening was spent at some hole-in-the-wall restaurant that I'd love to return to but have no hope of locating ever again. The waiters—adorable old Romans—brought appetizer after appetizer, pasta after pasta, meat after salad after tiramisu, after espresso until we consumed all the table wine and couldn't have eaten a single bite more! It served as a wonderful concluding evening for our last night in Rome.

St. Peter's Square

A relatively early bedtime allowed for a super early wakeup for my friends and I. We decided to climb St. Peter's Basilica before the day's activities began and opted to avoid the crowd that descends upon the Vatican on Sundays mid-morning. As the sun trickled between the buildings, we arrived at an impressively picturesque St. Peters and climbed the cupola in 15 minutes to witness the most spectacular view of the city! Peeking out into the magical haze that mostly comprised of smog, the eternal city sprawled before us, where we stood at the highest point of the smallest country in the world. The breathtaking view made the literally breathtaking climb well worth it!

Me, Lindsay and Michelle enjoying the view

My time in Rome concluded with a walk around Castel Sant'Angelo and a blessing from the pope. I was thankfully left alone by the handsy Italian men (unlike my mother) as he spoke to the hundreds of people gathered in the square. The sun was warm at my back, and the beauty of the faith displayed by those around me made the moment truly unforgettable. The drive back to Florence was marked again by long periods of staring out the window. Exhaustion from constantly walking the city finally caught up with me. Upon my return I was reunited with my friend and roommate, Nicole. I'm happy to have someone to share my room and the semester with. Classes started today and it appears like that semester is going to be fine on the academic side of this experience. Although most of my peers dreaded a heavy workload, which would interfere with their heavy partying schedule, I can't say I'm too worried about my courses. At least, not for now . . .