All Roads Lead to Rome

     This weekend really made living in Rome a lot more real. SAI, my study abroad program, had a lot planned for us to do, and it was all very exciting.

     Friday we took a day trip to ancient ruins in Ostia Antica. Being in Rome has made me realize how young of a country the US is. There is so much history in Rome, and I learned a lot on the tour of the ruins. The entrance to the city was a line of mausoleums that Romans would put urns of ashes in, and there were still some of the jars they used for ashes. The would have huge rooms just filled with these jars. Once we entered the city, there were lots of different buildings. I was really bad at picturing what the city looked like, but luckily they had renderings of what they believed the city looked like. It seemed like it would have been awesome. There was a really big amphitheatre in the middle of the city and lots of colonnades along a row of shops. It actually reminded me of UVa a bit which made me happy. During the tour, we got to meet a ton of other SAI students as well. Here's what some of it looks like.

     After the tour, we were taken to a beautiful Italian villa in the countryside for lunch. There was a couple getting married after we were done, so we saw a lot of people dressed up and heard a bit of Italian wedding customs. I want to get married there; hopefully I can meet an Italian while I’m here to make it a little more possible haha. But it was a breathtaking place with a gorgeous view. Once we sat down, they gave us wine and started feeding us. There was so much food, and it was all so tasty. We had at least three appetizers, pasta, chicken, and dessert which was a bit like an apple pie pastry. It was great.

     That night we decided to go out with other students since it was the first night any of us were really up for doing anything other than sleeping. We went to Campo di Fiori, which is a ton of restaurants and bars in a square. It was definitely a very American spot with lots of people speaking English, which is always a nice comfort. I could get used to going to bars and being able to order things without being questioned about my age. I could live without paying for cheap alcohol though! Since I turn 21 about three days after I return, I'm basically counting this as my new 21st birthday.

     Saturday was our first relatively free day. We had to wake up relatively early for permit stuff, but it didn’t take very long. After we were finished, we went to a cute café in an alley near the campus. I have blonde roommates so when we go places people know we’re American. Italians talk about Americans a lot when you’re near them. But there are a few people I know here who speak Italian and they always tell us. Italians love to just sit and watch Americans and talk about us, not usually in a good way especially if they are boys. So that is something I am getting used to, being watched while I’m eating and at places with other friends.

     Today I woke up way later than I expected to and just had a lazy day in my apartment for the morning and early afternoon. At 3 we went on a walking tour of ancient Rome. Now, remember I’ve never been to Rome/Italy/Europe before so this is all new to me. It was so cool to go around that section of Rome and see how the city is just filled with ancient ruins. I couldn’t believe how often I’d see a building and then ruins. The modern part of Rome is also connected to the ancient part of Rome through a square that Michalangelo designed. So on one side you see the modern city and on the other you see the ancient ruins, which is a really cool perspective. We walked through the ancient city and ended at the Colosseum. I learned a lot of fun facts on the tour though. Where Julius Caesar was assassinated is now a bus stop. Michelangelo’s home is now an insurance company. Good thing that the flood preserved a lot, otherwise who knows what they would have done with everything!

 I was so excited I got to do so many things in Rome after being here less than a week. It was definitely a great weekend.