Oh Rome...I don't know where to even start writing about Rome.  Rome was a weekend filled with blisters and almost no sleep, but also tears of pure overwhelming awe and happiness.  I might have been ready to cut my feet off by the end of the weekend (and fall asleep while doing it), but every second was worth it.  It was definitely the best weekend of the semester and one of the best weekends of my entire life.

The weekend started off with a trip to the opera (in Florence) to see "Tosca" with two of my friends in the SUF program.  I had never been to the opera before, and I was absolutely blown away.  Even though I didn't understand a word of it (it was sung in Italian, but it was a very primitive version), it was so beautiful.  I definitely hope I can see another show by the end of the semester.  We didn't get back until 12:30, and I still had to pack and was determined to get my Venice and Verona blog done, so I didn't end up going to bed until 4:30...I had to wake up at 5:45 to get ready and leave for Rome.  Not quite the good sleep start to the weekend I was hoping for, but I'm happy I went and that I got the blog done.

The train arrived into Rome around 9:30, and we began our drive to the Vatican.  On our way, we were able to see the Colosseum in the distance, and the tears started.  I was already so happy to be there.  We got to Vatican City and I couldn't stop smiling.  We stopped for a quick coffee break, then reconvened at the Museum.  We saw dozens of ancient sculptures and artifacts, many paintings, the infamous tapestries, the Hall of Maps, the Raphael rooms, and even a few Dali paintings.  After the museum, we made our way to the Sistine Chapel.  We walked into the room and my eyes teared up and my breath was gone.  Everyone has seen the pictures of the chapel, but no picture can even come close to comparing to the magnificence of seeing Michelangelo's work in person.  No pictures were allowed, but, naturally, I was able to sneak a few.  After some time in the chapel, we finally made our way to the basilica.  Again, the tears began and the breath was lost.  I have never been in a more beautiful place in my life, both physically and spiritually.  Everything was so pristine and detailed, the altar was incredibly beautiful, and it was SO BIG.  Though I don't attend mass every week, I do consider myself to be fairly religious.  So, to be in the most important church of the Christian religion was a surreal experience.


After exploring the basilica, we broke for lunch (I had white pizza and a fried artichoke- both Roman specialties), and after, we spend the rest of our free time sitting in the sun.  Much to my dismay, it was time to leave Vatican City and check into the hotel.  As soon as we got to the hotel, I absolutely crashed.  We napped for a couple hours, then headed out.  One of my best friends, Rick, from Miami is studying in Rome, so we spent our nights with him and his friends.  Of course, on our way to meet him, the tears started again because I was just so happy and excited to be there and seeing a friend I haven't seen in almost a year and a half.  We met up in a nearby piazza and headed to dinner at Campo Di Fiori, where I ate Pasta Carbonara (another Roman specialty).  After dinner, we headed to a bar in Trastevere to meet up with Rick's friends for the night.  Trastevere is a part of Rome on the other side of the Tiber, where a lot of Italians frequent at night.  It was a huge (and welcome) change from the same American places my friends and I have mostly gone to in Florence.  We had such an amazing time out, even though we only got a few hours of sleep.


A couple hours later, we woke up for our next day in Rome.  We checked out of the hotel, put our luggage in storage, and (finally) HEADED TO THE COLOSSEUM.  Again, surprise, surprise, I cried.  I have studied the Colosseum and Ancient Rome for more years than I can count, and finally seeing these places in person was just so overwhelming.  Unfortunately, our tour was only limited to the top of the Colosseum, but I'm hoping to go back to Rome and book a tour of the underground tunnels.  As if this weekend couldn't get any better, while I was taking a diamonds picture, two girls spotted me and introduced themselves...AS ADPiS!!!  AND they're studying in Florence!  We were so excited to meet each other.  We snapped a picture and exchanged numbers so we can meet up back in Florence!!  After the Colosseum, we went to explore the Roman Forum and after made our way up to the Pantheon.  Again, these ruins and buildings were just so amazing.  To be standing amongst structures that are thousands of years old is an unbelievable experience.


After the morning activities the school had planned for us, we had the rest of the afternoon free, unless we wanted to do an optional tour of the Borghese Galleries, which I chose to do.  After we got lunch and gelato, I left my friends and headed to the galleries.  The only thing I didn't like about Rome is how misleading the maps are.  In Florence, I'm used to looking at a map of the same size and being able to get from one side of the city to the other in around a half an hour.  This is NOT the case in Rome, however.  I looked at where I needed to go at the map and estimated for about a fifteen minute walk...I was very off.  It ended up taking me nearly a half an hour, and I almost missed the tour.  I JUST made it, however, and I got to see the beautiful museum.  The museum is actually in someone's house, which gave it a very quaint feeling to it that most museums don't have.


After the tour, my feet hurt so badly that I sat in the park the Galleries are located in for almost an hour.  I had a snack, looked at pictures, studied my map a bit, then continued on to my next destination.  My friends had gone to the different monuments during the day while I was at the tour, so I decided to go see those on my own.  First, I went to the Spanish Steps.  Unfortunately, there were so many people there that it was hard to really appreciate them.  After I took some pictures and figured out how to get there, I began to head to the Trevi Fountain.

The Trevi Fountain is one of the things I was most looking forward to seeing while in Rome.  Everyone I have talked to who has been to Rome told me to wait to go until it was dark and the fountain was illumination, and I am so glad I did.  The Trevi was everything I had expected and more, and it's illumination just added an entirely new level to its beauty.  This was another instance in which I cried, because, again, it was just so overwhelming.  I looked at the fountain in awe for about 15 minutes, then threw my coin, made my wish, as is tradition, and headed back towards the hotel.  If I didn't leave then, I would have stayed put for the rest of the night just looking upon this masterpiece.


I couldn't stand walking any longer, so I decided to have a go at the metro (I was actually very impressed with myself that I was able to figure it out!).  I picked up my luggage, had a light snack, then met back up with Rick to bring my things to his apartment, where I was spending the night.  We had some pizza for dinner that one of his roommates made, then went to a nearby bar to watch the Rome v. Milan soccer game.  Afterward, we met back up with my friends and headed back to Trastevere to go to a bar featuring a Rolling Stones v. Beatles cover band, which was so much fun.  We then met up with some of the boys' girl friends and continued on with our night.  It was another late night, and we were out until last call (I had never done that before, I was impressed I was able to stay up that late!).  Luckily, I was able to sleep much later the next morning, so the late night wasn't as harsh as the night before.

When I say I was able to sleep late, however, I only mean about 9:30.  On Sunday, Rick and a few of his roommates were coming back to the Vatican with me so I could go to the papal blessing and the noon mass.  We made it to the Vatican in perfect time- the pope was just beginning his blessing.  I saw him and I instantly started crying for about the hundredth time this weekend.  I couldn't believe I was seeing THE POPE.  His Holiness.  The closest thing between God and us.  Not only was I seeing him, but I was receiving a blessing from him.  It was a completely out of body experience, and I can't believe how blessed I am (literally and figuratively) to be able to experience all of this.  After the blessing, we went to mass, which, again, was just surreal.


We were all so tired and my feet hurt so much that I had to go back to the apartment with Rick and a few of his roommates for the afternoon instead of going out to explore some more with the rest of his roommates.  Instead, we hung around, talked, made a delicious lunch, and napped until it was time for me to leave.  My friends exchanged my train ticket for me at the station the day before because I didn't have time to go myself.  They forgot to bring it with them when we went out, however, and they left much earlier than I did on Sunday, so we had to figure out a way for me to get them.  What we decided on was that they would leave them somewhere on the street for me to find, like a scavenger hunt.  They gave me the cross street and told me which flower pot I could find them in, and, miraculously, they were there.  It was actually extremely funny.

We retrieved the tickets, then Rick walked me to the train station and we said our goodbyes.  I was very sad to be saying goodbye to him, since it had been so long since I had seen him last, but I'm truly hoping to go back to Rome before the end of the semester.  I really don't want this one weekend to be my only time spent there...there is so much to be discovered and seen in the city, and I want another opportunity to explore the city that is one of the major foundations of today's world.  I am truly in love with this city and everything it has to offer.  Despite the lack of sleep and sore feet, everything about this weekend was absolutely perfect.

A dopo!  Abbracci e baci!! xoxo