ROMA!!!
So I woke up really early on Wed. morning and walked to the bus station in Barcelona. Then I took an hour ride in a bus that was sooooooooooooooooo hot and I felt like I was going to die from heat stroke...haha but I didnt...Maybe I am being dramatic.
Then I boarded the plane in Girona and was off to the Motherland!
When I arrived in Rome I took a bus to Anagnina Metro station where I bought a week pass for the metro through the use of my excellent Italian skills. haha I am not good actually. Then I rode the metro until the Ottaviano stop near Vatican city. It is a great location! My hostel is cool...some of it seems unorganized but it is clean and the people are nice. The view of the dome of St. Peters is excellent.
That first day I explored after checking in. I went to this fountain asked for directions to a grocery market and ate some bread and drank some water. Then I went to the square of St. Peters Basilica which is glorious. After that I walked across the River Tiber to the other side of Rome. Then I went to the Piazza Navona to see some work by Bernini. However, I was dissapointed because the Fonte di Quattro Fiumi is under scaffolding :( but it was still cool.
From there I went to San Luigi dei Francesi. It used to be a French church in Italy and today there are masses in French. I was able to see some of the work of Caravaggio there. Then I went to the Piazza Minerva and the chiesa there to see more work by Bernini.
Then I went to the Pantheon which is ridiculously awesome. It is so grand and imposing and I loved it. There was a choir singing really fitting music so it REALLY added to the ambience of the place. haha
After that I went to the wonderful Forum and Coloseum. Everything was soooo old and cool.
Then I headed back to the hostel and met some of my roomies. However, I left pretty quickly because I wanted to go hang out at the square of the Basilica. I just sat there and it was so neat.
Then I went to dinner with my good romana friend Silvia. Being from Rome she took me to an excellent restaurant in Trastevere and then drove me around for a bit. We went to Janiculum Hill which afforded GREAT views.
THen she took me back.
Today was also fun because I hung with some kids from the hostel. In the morning a girl from UNC and I went to the Spanish Steps, Princio Gardens, and the Piazza del Popolo. Then in the afternoon I toured St. Peters Basilica. Once again I canàt even describe. It is just soooo cool and I really enjoyed it. Then went with Cristina from UNC and Matt from the UK to Santa Maria del Popolo to see more work from Caravaggio.
For dinner we went with an ITalian friend to a trendy eatery slash bar, then for wine in Campo di Fiori area, and then for...guess...GELATO!
haha anyways...Rome is amazing and I really really like it. I will write more thoughts later. Miss you all.
Oh and it is like 80 degrees here!! I am melting...I heard it is cold in the US? Si?
anyways take it easyyyyyyyyyyyy
Then I boarded the plane in Girona and was off to the Motherland!
When I arrived in Rome I took a bus to Anagnina Metro station where I bought a week pass for the metro through the use of my excellent Italian skills. haha I am not good actually. Then I rode the metro until the Ottaviano stop near Vatican city. It is a great location! My hostel is cool...some of it seems unorganized but it is clean and the people are nice. The view of the dome of St. Peters is excellent.
That first day I explored after checking in. I went to this fountain asked for directions to a grocery market and ate some bread and drank some water. Then I went to the square of St. Peters Basilica which is glorious. After that I walked across the River Tiber to the other side of Rome. Then I went to the Piazza Navona to see some work by Bernini. However, I was dissapointed because the Fonte di Quattro Fiumi is under scaffolding :( but it was still cool.
From there I went to San Luigi dei Francesi. It used to be a French church in Italy and today there are masses in French. I was able to see some of the work of Caravaggio there. Then I went to the Piazza Minerva and the chiesa there to see more work by Bernini.
Then I went to the Pantheon which is ridiculously awesome. It is so grand and imposing and I loved it. There was a choir singing really fitting music so it REALLY added to the ambience of the place. haha
After that I went to the wonderful Forum and Coloseum. Everything was soooo old and cool.
Then I headed back to the hostel and met some of my roomies. However, I left pretty quickly because I wanted to go hang out at the square of the Basilica. I just sat there and it was so neat.
Then I went to dinner with my good romana friend Silvia. Being from Rome she took me to an excellent restaurant in Trastevere and then drove me around for a bit. We went to Janiculum Hill which afforded GREAT views.
THen she took me back.
Today was also fun because I hung with some kids from the hostel. In the morning a girl from UNC and I went to the Spanish Steps, Princio Gardens, and the Piazza del Popolo. Then in the afternoon I toured St. Peters Basilica. Once again I canàt even describe. It is just soooo cool and I really enjoyed it. Then went with Cristina from UNC and Matt from the UK to Santa Maria del Popolo to see more work from Caravaggio.
For dinner we went with an ITalian friend to a trendy eatery slash bar, then for wine in Campo di Fiori area, and then for...guess...GELATO!
haha anyways...Rome is amazing and I really really like it. I will write more thoughts later. Miss you all.
Oh and it is like 80 degrees here!! I am melting...I heard it is cold in the US? Si?
anyways take it easyyyyyyyyyyyy