Vibel Rome

... sf in the Vatican. The value of the Sistine Chapel? Money has no meaning. The last pope started a modern art gallery in 1973, in order to display a collection that was largely donated by artists over the past 2 centuries just to claim that they had paintings in the Vatican – Van Gogh, DeChirico, Feininger, Kandinsky, Bottero, Severini – 30 rooms of art, an afterthought in Vatican terms, but a world renowned billion ...

... was basically just some grass with a few stone ruins. We then parted ways and I tried to make my way to the Pantheon. I did find my way and on the way there I stopped at Saint Ignatius of Loyola Basilica. After the Pantheon, I made my way to Trevi Fountain. I looked for the Spanish steps, which I had been to the night before, but I couldn"t find them and was sick of walking so I went back to the hostel. There I discovered that Laren and Thomas (the two ...

... gelaterias just opened again for the spring, so I'll have to start taking advantage of that for a mid-afternoon snack or dessert on the weekends. The beginning of classes last week happened quite suddenly: on Tuesday (01/27) we were divided into groups for the Obelisk Project.  Basically, our professors for the Ancient City course assigned each group two ancient obelisks in the city to visit and research.  With only our maps and bus passes, we were to find our way to each obelisk ...

... was the perfect preoccupation. Firstly, I could take as many pictures as I liked and people wouldn't bat an eyelid (I was, obviously, just an awfully, awfully religious student who was deeply moved by the awe-inspiring iconography). Secondly, I could create a slideshow later. And I really couldn't help myself; I mean, the saints and such are usually depicted in ways that just beg for comical interpretation. Trust me, you would have done the same (or maybe not ...

... and ran a lap, when in Rome. During sunset I walked to the Trevi fountain, very beautiful fountain - the saying goes if you toss a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, this will mean you will return to Rome, this I did and Rome waits. That evening I found out about a pub crawl that was going on that evening, it is marketed to fellow travelers. I returned to my hostel for the bland pasta and asked some other fellows if they were interested in a ...

... topics, such as music, bookselling, idioms, and other stuff, and it feels like making a new friend. By the time I'm halfway through this class each day, however, I find myself pretty blitzed. A school day means taking in a huge amount of new information - words, phrases, vocabulary, learning to hear what is being said, learning grammar, such as where pronouns go in a sentence, and which gender they do or don't agree with, etc. Lisa helps by understanding the situation, going ...

Overnight train to Rome was supposed to take 14.5 hours, ended up taking 17.5. A-C stopped working with 3 hours to go. One of the worst train rides ever, but we made it. Saw the Colloseum, Forum, Pantheon, ate Gelato by the Trevi Fountain. Next day, stood in long lines at the Vatican museum and St. Peter's. Unfortunately, won't be able to post pics until after we return.

... our American friends who went further in to the touristy part of the aqueducts as we wanted to go see some other attractions - these aqueducts already took enough of our time. The guy's name was Ben, but I forgot what the name of his woman was. Taka and I arrive next at his bath place, Caracella. It wasn't very interesting, so I don't recommend it seeing as we paid 6 Euros for a 10min walk around some old building. Not cool. I take my first subway ride through Rome. The trains suck ...

... of time is a little skewed. I live by moments not minutes. Time is a funny thing when you travel. You will meet amazing people wherever you go and share some intensely meaningful experiences only to realize as you hug them goodbye, that you dont even know their name. I am still waiting for a package to arrive at the post office but my faith in the Italian post is dwindling. I will try again today. I don't have much time left as I have finally booked my ticket ...

... the growing darkness to the nearest laundromat to do the most expensive load of laundry ever. After that we made another attempt to find a supermarket, again without luck, and ended up settling for a very ordinary serve of lasagne at a little snack bar for dinner. Spent the evening writing letters, postcards & journal entries.