First Impressions & Touring the Neighborhood

The downside: two exhausting flights and around 16 hours of total travel time, not to mention the days of preparation: packing, repacking, and praying the luggage will be under 50lbs. Our reward? Our first glimpses of the majesty of Rome during the long drive from Leonardo di Vinci Airport to the historical center of the city. First to welcome us were the impressive aqueducts dating back to ancient Rome on the outer city limits. Crossing under its massive archways, along with hundreds of other speeding and swerving taxis, trucks, buses, and vespas, we knew we were in arguably the most historical city in the world. We have never seen a city with so much history and culture concentrated within its limits. Within the first minutes of arriving in Rome, the history buffs inside of us both knew that this amazing place was the perfect place to call home for the next eight months. 

After a couple of long and weary days suffering from jet lag, we are finally getting accustomed to the sights and sounds of our neighborhood, which is considered the historical center, or "centro storico". Our hotel, Albergo del Sole al Biscione, claims to be the oldest hotel in the city, and is located above the ruins of the Theater of Pompey (different from Pompeii), where on its steps Julius Caesar was assassinated. It has the typical small European rooms, but the owners are very friendly and accommodating. Right down the street is Campo di Fiori, home to one of the most famous markets in Rome. During the day and at night it is full of life, from tourists taking in the sights to street vendors convincing you to buy one of their scarves. 

Getting to our classroom building and our local "bar" (caffe) is simple and easy from the hotel, and we are already accustomed to the flow of people and vehicles in the area. The best part of our classroom building's location is if we just keep walking down the street for less than five minutes, we arrive at the Pantheon. We have run into the Pantheon already 4 or 5 times, and each time we come across it, it never fails to take our breaths away. It is so well preserved that you would think it was created a couple hundred years ago, not in the first century! It is an absolute marble masterpiece and one of the most historically important treasures of Rome. 

Also in our area is the beautiful Piazza Navona with the three fountains of Bernini, another area full of people during all hours of the day. 

While not considered in our neighborhood, we have also visited the mystical Trevi fountain (and have thrown our two cents in!) and the Spanish Steps. Like everyone says, its much more difficult to find the Trevi fountain if you are looking for it, and if you're not looking for it, you will come across it. And you don't see the Trevi fountain first, you hear its playful splashing that draws so many tourists from around the world.  These sights are even more magnificent at night. We've already had our fair share of pizza, pasta, and gelato! (sorry, we ate our gelato before we remembered to take a picture of it!)  

Still to come this weekend is the Colosseum and then the Vatican! Oh, and we can't forget that classes begin on Monday; as our Rome Program director reminded us, we are here for academics and if we happen to have fun, so be it!

**Unfortunately we are having difficulty loading photos to the blog right now, but we will try to post some as soon as possible! 

The Final Countdown!

With less than a week to the beginning of our biggest adventure--a year studying abroad in Rome--our nervous excitement led us to search for a quote to verbalize our hopes for this next year. We found our motto with Mark Twain, who wrote: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Our adventure of a lifetime will not be an adventure unless we take risks: get lost in a random city, try new foods (and maybe wines), attempt to speak Italian, meet new people, and learn from every moment. This year, our classrooms will not only be confined to our small Saint Mary's campus but will rather extend to the entire city of Rome and, in fact, Europe. This blog will hopefully document our adventures together as we become fully immersed in our new culture and "do as the Romans do," study the history and art of this "Eternal City," and travel to various destinations throughout Italy and Europe. We hope you will enjoy following along on our travels, day-to-day events, and, possibly, mishaps. We have no idea what the future will hold, but we can't wait for it to begin! 

~Katie & Megan