Rome. Rome. Rome. This weekend we went on a fieldtrip to Rome with the school. It was quite a fun weekend. Rome is very much a modern city with lots of old ruins and history at its center. It’s one of those places you always hear about and then you visit it and think: I don’t know if this is exactly what I imagined but it’s REALLY cool (I guess a lot of things in life are like that huh). We left super early on Saturday morning (4.30 ekkk) and met the tour bus at Piazza Independeza. We had a little excitement bright and early when we got chased by a drunk/drugged up man with a panini in his hand. There was really no reason to be scared (It was 8 against 1) but when a sketchy drugged up man chases you screaming with a sandwich in his hand, you will run! I was in the back of the group of course but after a minute he left us alone! The bus ride was also an adventure. Italians are not the best drivers and there were a couple of times I about fell out of my seat. We got to Rome early and immediately went and saw the Colosseum. It was so nice to be given a tour of the area and not have to worry about transportation to and from sights. After the Colosseum we had a lunch break and then went on a three hour tour of the Vatican. The tour was long and our tour guide was quite the character. I learned a fair amount, but more than anything I just loved the unbelievable paintings in every room we entered! Our whole tour was leading up to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters. The Sistine Chapel was pretty amazing. There were tons of tourists but I tried to imagine what it would be like in the Chapel when a new Pope was selected and the white smoke was released. I stared at the ceiling for a while. It was the feeling again of “I’ve heard about this place 1000000 times and now I’m here!” I tried to take a picture and about got in trouble with a security guard. We went to St. Peters Basilica next. I have NO idea how people could ever create a church as grand as St. Peters. I added one more unbelievable church to the list of many that I have seen in the last couple of weeks. Although the tour was long and crammed full of random information, I did learn some interesting things about Catholicism. We walked past the crypts of the dead Popes on the way to the Basilica and I was intrigued with the crowds and emotions. Made me want to know more. By the end of tour we were all drained. While waiting for the group we saw a couple get engaged! I was literally standing RIGHT beside them, but it wasn’t until people started clapping and I looked down, that I saw them kneeled on the ground. It was precious. I tried to capture the moment for my photo project but lo’ wasn’t quite fast enough to capture a worthwhile shot. We left Vatican City and headed towards our hotel!
I love hotels. I no longer take for granted rooms where you have your own key and can comfortably leave your stuff in the room. It was super nice and Hil, Melis, and I couldn’t have been happier! We rested, explored, had a snack and McDonalds, and went to dinner with the UNC group! I loved getting to spend time with all the kids on our program! They’re awesome! I’m excited for the Nice and French Rivera trip with the group. We went to bed early and woke up to a HUGE FREE BREAKFAST!!! Sunday was a wonderful day. The sun was shining as we visited the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Forum. The dome in the Pantheon was breathtaking and I made a couple wishes at the Trevi Fountain! I enjoyed listening to our teachers/ tour guides and getting to know a little bit more about their lives. A four course typical Roman lunch was included with our program. Lots and lots of pasta and wine. Before heading back to Florence we visited the Catacombs. I didn’t really know much about the Catacombs before our visit, but I thoroughly enjoyed the tour through the tombs. We felt like we were on a ride in Disney World. When our slightly freaky tour guide whispered “come closer”, Hil and I were cracking up/ somewhat scared. It was a great end to our busy day! I slept most of way to Florence and thankfully we didn’t get chased by panini man on our walk back to the apartment. I’m very thankful I choose Rome as one of my school trips. I now feel like I know a lot more about the Vatican and ancient Rome!
Other things from the week.
*Last week I got an e-mail about my language partner. Before I left NC I signed up for a language partner {they pair you with an Italian student who you can talk with}. It sounded like a neat opportunity but once I got here and realized how HORRIBLE I am at speaking Italian, I’m pretty sure I would never have signed up. Anyway, I got the e-mail and I met my partner for first time last Thursday! Her name is Chiara, she’s 23, and one of the first things she asked me was if I watched Dawson’s Creek. We were meant to be friends. I really enjoy hanging out with her, even if my Italian is horrific. She is basically fluent in English. She has taken English since elementary school but rarely speaks it. We are supposed to speak half the time in Italian and half in English. She is super nice and is very patient with me! I’m very thankful that I signed up before I left!
*I’m getting surprisingly good at being creepy while taking pictures. Practice makes perfect. I normally go out on Monday afternoon and sit in a piazza and click away. This week I brought out my telephoto lens {super zoom} and got some really funny shots. It’s always awkward when you can see people looking back at you through your lens. My new motto is “I’m never going to see these people again what do I have to lose (besides my perfect photo)”. If nothing else, my photo assignments make me think of day to day scenes as pictures. I’m continually looking for something worth capturing. This week was “focus your vision”. Very open ended. I decided that I would follow a common theme through all my pictures. I choose companionship. My teacher was more positive this week. Here are a few shots from the week.
*My friends in my cooking class told me about a bakery with normal coffee, muffins and cake. I found it on Monday {and my friends just happened to be in there}. It was great fun and a super cute bakery! We also found a Mexican restaurant close to our apartment. A break from pasta is nice every once in a while! Went to Beatles cover band last week. I enjoyed it. Cool atmosphere.
*It’s getting warmer. Makes me excited for spring! I’m trying to jog more.
The weeks continue to fly by. I think is partly because we have been traveling so much and my days are always slammed packed. My favorite day is always Thursday because not only is it the beginning of the weekend but cooking class day! My teacher plays Michael Buble when we cook. She’s so cool and intense.
I miss and love y’all very much. Wing wing. Meow meow.
Prayers and hugs,
Bec
Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring. – James 3:11-12
Hey Bec! We love Rome! We spent a whole week there, walking the streets. I laughed when you described the Sistine Chapel, because when we were there every 10 seconds a guard with a deep baritone voice would call out "NO VEEDEEO! NO FOTO!". The rest of the trip Mags and I would keep saying that to each other. And St. Peter's is amazing - we read that you can stand the Space Shuttle up beneath the dome. Glad you were able to visit - keep the updates coming.
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