Rome Rome Rome

After saying good bye to Bonn, we were ready to take off for Rome! After a train ride to Frankfurt, we hopped on a plane and made it to the airport a little before midnight. Seven of us squeezed into a taxi to our hostel, and after all the stories I've heard of crazy Italian cab drivers, I was a little disappointed at the uneventful ride. But regardless, we made it safely to the hostel and went straight to sleep. 

I have a friend named Michael who had moved to Rome about 10 days before we arrived. He had previously studied abroad there, and is now living there for two years in order to assist other study abroad programs. We met up with him at 9:00am Friday morning, and he was gracious enough to show us around all day. First, we learned how to use the subway and grabbed some pastries and cappuccinos. Then we set off to see all four papal basilicas, starting with the classic St. Peter's. I had high expectations, but I was still blown away. It was breathtaking. We then went to St. John Lateran, which is the seat of the pope. Once agin, another beautiful church. We had some cheap but delicious pizza for lunch and then went to see the other two basilicas, St. Maria Maggiore and St. Paul outside the Wall, finishing up around 5pm. We walked around the city for a little bit before heading to the restaurant Michael had made a reservation at. We intended to have a traditional five course Italian meal, but no one successfully made it through all five. Still, it was easily some of the best Italian food I have ever had. All in all, a great first day in Rome. It was so nice having someone to show us around, and it definitely made for a very relaxed day!

Saturday, we went back to the Vatican, and climbed the Cupola, which is allegedly over 500 steps. It didn't seem like that many, but there was still a spectacular view of the city once we arrived at the top. After climbing back down, we went to the Vatican Museum which was just incredible. I had been a little worried about the number of people, but it even though there were tons of tourists, it didn't feel crowded. The art was spectacular, and we spent a good chunk of time going through the different rooms. Eventually we ended up in the Sistine Chapel, which was more than I could even imagine. Pictures don't do it justice, and it truly is something that you have to see in person to fully appreciate. We had another great Italian meal, which was just the icing on top of another great day in Rome. 

Sunday, our last full day in the city, we woke up and went to the Coliseum. While the weather was really hot, we were fortunate enough to have beautiful blue skies, which made for a really striking backdrop. After walking around the Coliseum, we headed to the Roman Forum. It's incredible to see such old structures, and I wish I could have seen the entire thing. But we still had more things to see, and we were on a tight schedule. Next stop was the Trevi Fountain for a quick look and then headed to the Pantheon.  Out of everything I saw, I would have to say I was the least impressed by the pantheon. We may have gone at the wrong time of day, but I was still slightly disappointed. After that, we had our final Italian dinner, rested at the hostel a while, and then went back to see the Trevi Fountain at night. It was really pretty, but also really crowded so we took some pictures and then went back to the hostel. On Monday morning, we went to the airport and caught a flight to Berlin. Rome was definitely the most touristy place we have been, but that really didn't cause any problems. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the city was and how easy it was to navigate. I think this may have been the first place we have gone that we didn't get lost in, which can be attributed to Michael. I'm really glad that I got to see so many historical structures with my own eyes. It was absolutely beautiful and I would love to go back someday!