L'ultima settimana
My time in Roma has almost come to an end. This makes me quite sad, but I'm also excited for what lies ahead. On Monday, we leave for our whirlwind tour of Umbria, a region to the north of here. After travelling around there for a week (with no class!), we head south to Calabria to our sleepy little village and our host families. I'm really going to miss this city, but I think there will be a lot of fun to be had still. This is probably the end of being able to use the internet every day, however, so I will probably update this blog even less often than I do now, and I will be even worse about answering emails.
Last weekend, I stayed in Rome. I didn't do all that much. I took a lot of walks and hung out with people from my program. On Sunday, Easter, everyone went to mass at the Vatican. I abstained, but I did join them all for a potluck dinner later that evening, which was quite nice. On Monday, we had no class because the day after Easter is a big holiday in Italy, called Pasquetta, which to the best of my understanding means "little Easter." On Tuesday I visited the ruins of Ostia Antica, which is a little bit south of here. Many of the ruins are quite well preserved. They have an amphitheatre which is in perfect condition. My guidebook tells me that they still have concerts and plays there in the summertime. I would love to see one some time. Earlier this morning, I visited the Vatican museum. It was way too crowded, but there was some amazing art there. There was an exhibit of Egyptian art which was very cool to see, but it made me sad to think about how the Romans stole so much from Egypt. One also sees obelisks of Egyptian origin all over town. There was so much to see in this museum. The other highlights include the rooms of Rafael, with the spectacular School of Athens, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. Everyone has been telling me how disappointed they were with it, which makes no sense to me. As far as Michelangelo masterpieces are concerned, it's no David, but of course it is still incredible.
This weekend, I'm staying in Rome, as it is my last chance to experience this amazing city. I still have to see a couple museums and do some shopping. I had planned to write more, but I have to go now. I'll try to update once more before I leave.
Last weekend, I stayed in Rome. I didn't do all that much. I took a lot of walks and hung out with people from my program. On Sunday, Easter, everyone went to mass at the Vatican. I abstained, but I did join them all for a potluck dinner later that evening, which was quite nice. On Monday, we had no class because the day after Easter is a big holiday in Italy, called Pasquetta, which to the best of my understanding means "little Easter." On Tuesday I visited the ruins of Ostia Antica, which is a little bit south of here. Many of the ruins are quite well preserved. They have an amphitheatre which is in perfect condition. My guidebook tells me that they still have concerts and plays there in the summertime. I would love to see one some time. Earlier this morning, I visited the Vatican museum. It was way too crowded, but there was some amazing art there. There was an exhibit of Egyptian art which was very cool to see, but it made me sad to think about how the Romans stole so much from Egypt. One also sees obelisks of Egyptian origin all over town. There was so much to see in this museum. The other highlights include the rooms of Rafael, with the spectacular School of Athens, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. Everyone has been telling me how disappointed they were with it, which makes no sense to me. As far as Michelangelo masterpieces are concerned, it's no David, but of course it is still incredible.
This weekend, I'm staying in Rome, as it is my last chance to experience this amazing city. I still have to see a couple museums and do some shopping. I had planned to write more, but I have to go now. I'll try to update once more before I leave.