Rome

Rome Day 1: We arrived in Rome Monday morning at approximately 9:30am. I have to admit....I might have been a little grumpy. For a variety of reasons, I didn't sleep very well on the couchette. That, combined with being hungry and feeling a little grimy from the lack of shower, may have impacted my attitude just a bit, but I got over it quickly. 

Our first stop was the hotel to store our bags. Then...we were Colosseum bound. 

We had tours of both the Colosseum and the Forum. It was so nice to have tour guides at both of these locations because they gave us a lot of information that we might not have learned otherwise. 

Then we grabbed some lunch at the train station and went back to the hotel to check in. Our hotel in Rome is much less "modern" than our other hotels, and I think some of the students might be a little less than thrilled by the accommodations (slow wireless internet, no shower curtains, hand held shower heads, tiny TVs, etc.). However, Neal, Matt, and I all agree that it is very quaint and more appropriate considering the history and culture of Rome. It has a very historical feel, and it's actually the kind of hotel I was anticipating so I'm glad that we're having this experience. I took a much needed bath/ shower, while Neal caught a few minutes of shut-eye. And then....we were back to seeing the sites. We stopped first at the Spanish Steps. 

After that, we had gelato. A few of the guys, including Neal, were a little surprised by the price tag for their gelato, but no one really complained. It was that delicious! 

(Sorry for the photo of half-eaten gelato. I was too excited about mine to stop and take a picture, and, by the time I got around to taking a picture of Neal's, it was almost gone too.)

From there, we walked to the Trevi Fountain. We threw our coins, made our wishes, and took tons of photos. 

After that, we had some free time. Neal, Matt, and I had dinner at a little restaurant located below the hotel. Pasta, bread....so good! 

Rome Day 2: We started this day with a 2+ hour train ride to Pompei. Tony, our tour guide, provided us with a sack lunch before leading us into the ruins of Pompei. We spent two hours touring the grounds and learning more about this lost city. It is really amazing to me how well the archeologists were able to discover and restore these structures. After the tour, we finished our sack lunches and enjoyed a little freshly squeezed orange juice from Tony's family food stand.

(That's Tony pictured above in front of the orange stand.)

After we got back to Rome, we had another free evening. Matt, Neal, and I went out for pizza to celebrate Neal's birthday. I would venture to say that it was the BEST pizza I've ever eaten. 

Rome Day 3: Another busy day. We were out of the hotel by 8am and on our way to Vatican City. We walked through the cathedral, including a walk/ride to the cupola to get a view of Rome from the top of the cathedral. Once again, it was an incredible view. Well worth the 7 euros and the heart attack that I nearly had after climbing the stairs.

From there we went to the Vatican Museum and saw (among other things) the Sistine Chapel. During the prep course for the trip, we talked about this particular space quite a bit, but seeing it in person was a whole different story. I can't even imagine having the talent, creativity, and pure dedication that was required to complete such a massive work of art. After the museum, Neal and I did a little shopping and then got an hour of rest before our next excursion.....to visit the sea. We arrived just as the sun was setting. Another great view! 

Some of the students even waded into the water, but only to their ankles. Despite the gorgeous weather we've been having in Rome, I suspect that the water was still quite frigid. 

After the beach, it was dinner time. The Ekstrom brothers, Allen and David, invited Matt, Neal, and me to have dinner with them at this amazing seafood restaurant. I don't typically enjoy seafood. However, I loved this place and everything that I ate. We started with a sampler of raw fish, moved on to a sampler of cooked fish, had a main course (linguine with lobster for me), and then had a fabulous dessert (puff pastry filled with cheese and covered in honey). Unfortunately, by the time we got to dessert, most of us were too full to finish it, but it was so good. Everything about the dinner was wonderful....the food, the service, and the company. It was a perfect way to end our time to Rome. In the morning, we leave for a day trip to Florence, and then it's another overnight train (our 3rd and final) to Paris.