"Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop."
The first weekend trip I took was to Rome. It takes about an hour on the train and I was staring out the window anxiously the entire time. I traveled with 7 other girls from the program, most who had been to Rome before. I have been to Italy before and I had been in San Gemini for almost 2 weeks prior to this trip, but I thought the fact that I was once again in Italy would really hit me once I saw Rome.
We booked a hostel by the train station and got in late Friday night. We immediately set off for food and found a nice place on a main street near the hostel. It had red and white checkered tablecloths and an easy relaxing atmosphere. I ordered spaghetti because I felt like I had to and could not stop thinking how 'Italian' it all was and kept having to remind myself that I was, in fact, in Rome. The food was delicious and we fell asleep excited for our big day of sightseeing.
Saturday we plowed through Rome, barely making a dent. From the Borghese galleria and gardens to the Spanish steps to the Trevi fountain to Piazza Navona and more. It was a whirlwind full of delicious food, lots of walking, and some tears (in a good way). My favorite parts were definitely the Pantheon, it huge and glorious, and the colosseum. I almost cried in the colosseum. It was so much more than I ever thought it would be. I was standing in what would have been the stands, staring at the levels beneath the floor as the sun set behind the walls and imagined the battles, the noise, the energy the place once had 2000 years ago. It was amazing.
We ate dinner by the Tiber river and walked into many churches, including an incredible crypt decorated with the bones of friars. I ate the most delicious gelato of nutella and banana sitting in the shade of Piazza Navona, people watching and loving life. Sunday morning we split up and some of the girls went shopping while Andi, Jess and I went to a couple more churches and the baths of Diochcletian before heading back on the train to San Gemini.
It was a glorious trip and I am not doing it justice at all. We barely got back in time for the San Gemini flower festival where the entire town got together to design and make beautiful carpets out of flowers, flower parts, and pollen. They stretched across the streets like hallway carpets, with detail I didn't think possible with flowers. We walked around, avoiding stepping on the mosaics while snapping pictures and ogling at the details. A procession from the church walked through after mass and the entire town participated. It was incredible to see and I loved being there, able to play a small part in it.
It is time for dinner now, but I will update on Siena and the Palio next, with my adventures of Perugia and Assisi after that.
Only 2 more weeks of my program left. Then a week of traveling with my best friend Kathryn to see my friend in Naples and a couple last days in Rome before home for the family vacation. Can't wait to see you all and share my pictures (and videos!).
Ciao!
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