Rome!!!
I arrived at the Rome airport this morning at 9:30 AM, about 30 minutes after I was supposed to land. Getting through the Italian airport was fairly easy, and my luggage was one of the first to come out. Then we spent about one hour waiting and looking for someone whose luggage had been lost and then who had gotten lost herself. Once we left the airport, it took our bus about 2 hours to make a 1 hour drive to the hotel. By the time I got into my hotel room I had about one hour to get ready before we had to meet back up to take a tour of ancient Rome.
I think the concept of being in Rome really came to life when I got off the tram (that was a really hot and long ride) right in front of the coliseum. It was huge!! The weather was really hot at this point and we still had to wait for the other half of our group that had to take another tram. Since we don’t have cell phones, we pretty much had to stay right where we got off so that our teacher and the rest of our group could find us. We ended up waiting about 20 minutes just sitting around in the hot sun.
My tour of ancient Rome consisted of going around the outside of the coliseum and “walking the path of Caesar,” as my art history teacher put it. I even saw what is considered the center of ancient Rome. I saw the remains of a temple that contained the location where an eternal flame was to remain lit by the virgin daughters of the emperor to ensure the prominence of the Roman Empire (If the virgins lost their virginity during their 30 year period of duty of keeping the fire lit, they were thrown in a dungeon for the rest of their lives; if they let the fire die out, they were killed). In the last part of the tour I saw the Column of Trajan. The Column of Trajan depicts illustrations of the emperor Trajan who communicated the knowledge of Rome with the far lands of Hungry and Romania. At one point it had a statue of Trajan at the top; the statue was replaced by one of the Pope who “had prayed that God move Trajan’s soul from the pagan hell into heaven.”
After the tour of ancient Rome, I went to see the Trevi Fountain. This was the most crowded place that I have been to thus far in Rome. I made a wish by throwing a coin into the fountain. There was not much to see at the fountain besides the fountain and some touristy shops. From there I took a cab back to the hotel (don’t worry, I was in the cab with some male friends).
Since I had about an hour, and my roommate was not back to the hotel yet (and she had the room key), my friend Scott and I decided to go looking around the part of Rome around our hotel.
At dinner (which was at the hotel) they served us about four courses (including dessert) as well as bread. I can definitely say that I ate well. The ice cream dish was amazing!
Right now it is about 10:30 and I think that I will be heading to bed soon.
I think the concept of being in Rome really came to life when I got off the tram (that was a really hot and long ride) right in front of the coliseum. It was huge!! The weather was really hot at this point and we still had to wait for the other half of our group that had to take another tram. Since we don’t have cell phones, we pretty much had to stay right where we got off so that our teacher and the rest of our group could find us. We ended up waiting about 20 minutes just sitting around in the hot sun.
My tour of ancient Rome consisted of going around the outside of the coliseum and “walking the path of Caesar,” as my art history teacher put it. I even saw what is considered the center of ancient Rome. I saw the remains of a temple that contained the location where an eternal flame was to remain lit by the virgin daughters of the emperor to ensure the prominence of the Roman Empire (If the virgins lost their virginity during their 30 year period of duty of keeping the fire lit, they were thrown in a dungeon for the rest of their lives; if they let the fire die out, they were killed). In the last part of the tour I saw the Column of Trajan. The Column of Trajan depicts illustrations of the emperor Trajan who communicated the knowledge of Rome with the far lands of Hungry and Romania. At one point it had a statue of Trajan at the top; the statue was replaced by one of the Pope who “had prayed that God move Trajan’s soul from the pagan hell into heaven.”
After the tour of ancient Rome, I went to see the Trevi Fountain. This was the most crowded place that I have been to thus far in Rome. I made a wish by throwing a coin into the fountain. There was not much to see at the fountain besides the fountain and some touristy shops. From there I took a cab back to the hotel (don’t worry, I was in the cab with some male friends).
Since I had about an hour, and my roommate was not back to the hotel yet (and she had the room key), my friend Scott and I decided to go looking around the part of Rome around our hotel.
At dinner (which was at the hotel) they served us about four courses (including dessert) as well as bread. I can definitely say that I ate well. The ice cream dish was amazing!
Right now it is about 10:30 and I think that I will be heading to bed soon.