When In Rome

The Girls first night in Rome!


The Colosseum!


4-26-10

Just returned from a week in Rome, and let me tell you, Rome is just wild. It was so much fun and refreshing to leave small Siena and spend a week in a huge (beautiful, acient) city. The class arrived and hit the ground running. We had so much to cover and see in such a small amount of time. Our first stop was the Colosseum. If you havent taken the metro in Rome it is actually quite easy and cost effective. Anyway, there is a stop specifically for the Colosseum, and the view coming out of the metro and into the daylight stright at the Colosseum is hard to beat. It is just breathtakingly- humongus. It was a gorgeous day, seventy five degrees with the rays of sun laying down shadows on the ancient ruins that spread out in front of us. After touring the Colosseum, we walked through the Roman Forum and the Pantheon. Post Pantheon we stopped into this amazing gelateria, with over 100 flavors, where I got a four scoop dose of happiness: banana, coconut, pistaccio and tiramisu. Feeling rejuvenated we walked through two more churches, and then to Piazza Nuovana. This Piazza was by far my favorite one I have visited in Italy. It was filled with artists selling their work, restaurants, shops, flowers and a huge fountain by Michaelangelo. After a long day the class had dinner at a restaurant in the Piazza Nuovana filled with good friends and good conversation.

Thus began our first night in Rome. After dinner we walked back to our hotel and changed into dancing clothes. Our motto for the night was Go Big or Go Home and Rome wasnt ready for us. A group of eight of us went to Campo Del Fiori (a trendy campo that houses the flower market duing the day and all the young students during the night). It is filled with hip bars and clubs were one can sit at a table outside and watch all the action going on about the Campo. Paris, Georgia and I got a drink at a charming bar, and then hopped to another, and another. We then ran into a Danish Public Relations guy named Andres who was hosting a party at a posh dance club a few blocks away – and he wanted us to come. “Cover, drinks, everythings on me” was what he said – and thats all he needed to say. A group of locals, foreigners and us we ushered off to this club called Le Maison. It was just wild. An insanely edgy cool dance club for the young and hip of Rome (complete with Chandeliers and light blocks on the floor), and we were in the VIP section! Le Maison played american hip-hop (which I hadnt realized how much I missed!) Reggae, Techno and Pop. Paris, Georgia and I danced our hearts out – once again closing down the club at 5 30 AM. We hailed a cab to take us home, but first asked the driver if he could stop somewhere that we could get food. He was very friendly and stopped at a late night pizzaria. THANK GOD. In our very tired and haggard state Paris, Georgie and I oredered the first two pizzas we saw on the menu – not thinking to read what was on them. We found out back at the hotel as we sat on the balcony outside, the pizzeria thought is would be fun to give us a pizza with whatever the hell they wanted to put on it. Thus started our chow down inhailing session of two pizzas topped with blue cheese, spinche, mushroom, spicy pepper and eggs. Yes eggs. Over easy eggs. At that point anything tasted just perfect. Then it dawned on us it was almost 6 am and we had to be ready to go at 8 AM for the following days tours. Time to Rally.

The next day was spent touring the Museo di Risorgimento of Rome (basically the history of Rome). We also visited other local cathedrals and had lunch in an area called the Jewish ghetto. We had the afternoon free, which we obviously spent exploring more of the city and shopping. Yearning for sleep we opted to stay in that evening and rest up for the next days festivities.

Morning came to quickly and we were off to the Vatican. It was absolutely beautiful! We did the whole tour (which took about three hours) the highlights being the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Basilica. That afternoon we saw the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

That evening we went to an Ice Bar. Everything in the bar was made out of ice! The chairs, the bar, the cups, the floor, ceiling, everything! There were all these fur skins to sit on and they made you wear heat cape to keep people from getting frostbite – it was negative 20 degrees! It was so cool and I have never experienced something like that before! We only lasted about an hour in what felt like Antarctica, and then we all went to this restaurant ordered wine and chilled out for the rest of the evening.

The last full day was a free day. A few friends went to Pompeii but Paris and I opted to stay in Rome and fully explore all the nook and cranny neighborhoods that it had to offer. We must have walked the entire city and I enjoyed every minute of it! We saw Wallace Shawn (who played the annoying bald guy in The Princess Bride, the professor in Clueless and the voice of the T-Rex in Toy Story) at the train station! Happy hour Sangria in the Campo del Fiori was spent people watching and listening to the local musicians playing for a buck or two. That evening, our last in Rome, the group decided to do a Pub Crawl. Pub Crawls in Rome are just wild! We went to four different bars and met tons of other students that were visiting from all around the world.

Overall Rome was a huge success, I couldn’t have planned a better trip. It was a fabulous week in a fabulous city.