For our Easter Break, Shannon, Jess, Megan, Kelsey and I went to Sorrento. Everyone wanted to go to the beach; therefore we traveled southward. We planned to see Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, Positano, and the Amalfi Coast. I was especially excited to be going to see the Amalfi Coast since I had heard how beautiful it was. But before we got too wound up, we had to get there first. From Sansepolcro, it would take us one bus and two trains; one from Arezzo to Naples and the other from Naples to San Agnello. Overall the whole trip took about seven hours. We reached San Agnello at about 9:45 p.m. on Thursday.
The name of our hostel was Seven Hostel. It seemed to be dedicated to the teenage crowd because all I saw were half dressed drunken teens walking about. The interior was very modern and appeared to be clean. I was relieved to see that there was a restaurant and bar on the first floor. Since we were all tired from the trip, we could eat downstairs and not have to walk far for dinner. Once we settled in to our room, called Style, we headed downstairs for dinner. The people were being entertained by others singing karaoke. We found a table for the five of us and immediately looked over the menu. No one knew what to order, so we just randomly picked. I order gnocchi with melted cheese and white sauce. It sounded appetizing as the waiter described it, but was nasty. It tasted as if someone had poured sand in my mouth. Luckily, I was able to switch my meal and I had a burger instead. It was not an American burger, but it was better than my first dish. Once we finished eating, we joined in the party and did karaoke. It was really fun; I sung Rihanna’s Rude Boy and Usher’s Hey Daddy, while the girls snapped pictures and laughed.Some of the girls had a few drinks then we all went upstairs. As soon as I got into bed, I fell asleep.
On Friday, we took a day trip to Pompeii. It was not far from our hostel; only two stops away on the metro. Once we arrived we had no idea where to go so we followed the crowd. It led us to the entrance to Pompeii, where we paid 11 euro to enter. This exhibit was a very large one; it was filled with the ruins of Pompeii. I was able to see the two preserved victims who were killed in the volcanic ash and the brothels were women were held. I found these two sights the most interesting. In the brothel there were stone beds and frescoes painted of the different sexual positions that these women were forced into. Some of the pictures were very disturbing. It was very crammed inside and only took about 10 minutes to walk through. The brothel was very hard to find, but it was much easier to leave. After seeing the brothel, the fast food restaurant, the biggest house in the ruins, and the baths we left. We spent about two hours inside Pompeii Museum. Next we went to find food for lunch. We found a little corner restaurant, just outside the exit. The food was very expensive so everyone decided to share pizzas. Shannon and Jess split one, while Megan and I did the same. Kelsey wanted only a sandwich, so everything worked out perfectly. Once we had all finished eating and had seen all that Pompeii had to offer, we hopped back on the metro.
We got off the metro at the last stop, Sorrento. Here we planned to shop, which turned into window shopping, and to take lots of pictures of the coast. Things seemed to be much more costly than I expected, and I was not prepared at all. I did not buy much, but I was able to find a doll for my niece. It was a cute little rag doll that read Italy on the bottoms of the feet. It resembled a doll that my grandmother had in here house when I was younger. It is something that my niece can keep forever. After getting lost in the tiny streets of Sorrento, we found a cute little place for dinner along the coast. Ironically, it was a place that was mentioned in Kelsey’s Rick Stevens Guidebook. The prices were very cheap; the spaghetti was three euro and fifty centesime. I spent seven euro on a great meal and was very pleased. The walk back from the restaurant was a lengthy one. There were numerous steps and streets to cross. It took us so long to reach the main street, Corso Italia. Luckily, when we reached the street we were just in time for the procession.
It was called Verendi, (I’m guessing since it takes place on a Venerdi). It was amazing. We scurried down the street and found a place to stand just before the music began. I was in the front and able to see everything, which angered many of the citizens. It was very hard to understand what was actually taking place because I was being shoved the entire time. There was a very rude Italian old man trying to see the procession, who kept pushing me to see, although he was able to see just as much as I could. The procession was not too long. It consisted of men and children dressed in black robes marching along the streets. Some people were carrying different symbols as they walked which reflected the twelve Stations of the Cross. This was an important parade that takes place every Easter and I’m glad that I was able to witness it.
Once that was all over, we hurried through the overcrowded streets to the metro. We knew that we would be squished but wanted to attempt to get seats. The station was flooded with people. It was very hard for us to find seats, but we did. Since it was the last train to leave; it took a long time for it to finally pull off. The conductor was waiting patiently for the last few people to buy tickets and get on. After about 15 minutes we finally took off, thank goodness that we were only one stop way. It was even more difficult for us to exit the train than to enter. We slid past people until we were free. We quickly walked back to our hostel, cold and tired.
On Saturday, we planned to go to Capri. Fortunately, we were able to save money since our hostel provided a trip to Capri with our stay. We would only have to pay 52 Euros apiece to get a guided boat ride around Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and then to Capri. We would be able to see all the grottos, caves, and beautiful waterfalls along the way. Plus, we would be provided lunch and unlimited drinks for the entire 6 hour trip. It was simply an offer that we could not pass up, so we accepted. The view was breath-taking; I was able to take incredible pictures. The water was so blue; I had never seen anything like it. I cannot wait to get home to show my family. There was only one minor problem, sea-sickness. I felt pretty good the whole way up the coast, but as we got closer and closer to Capri I began to feel sea-sick. I thought it was a bad idea from the beginning to sit at the front of the boat, but I did it anyway. Once I felt bad, I crawled to the back of the boat and waited for us to reach land.
Finally we reached Capri and it was as beautiful as the postcards. Once I was able to feel land under my feet, I felt much better. We were advised to take a bus of some sort up to the main piazza, but had trouble finding it. We walked back and forth until we finally saw all the other tourists racing into a line with tickets. We mimicked them and were soon on the trolley. It was different than anything I had ridden before. It inched up the mountain slowly as if we were climbing stairs. It was very time-consuming and took about 15 minutes to reach the top.
We were let out at Piazza di Capri, the main square of the island. It was lined with many shops, restaurants, and booths for iced drinks. Most of the shops were pricey, so I mostly window shopped. There were plenty of shoes that I wanted, but simply could not afford. After we had seen enough we headed back to the main square. We were supposed to meet with back at the boat at 3 30 pm. We all bought lemon and melon iced drinks for our hike back down to the dock. I had a mix of both and it was delicious. By the time I finished my slushy we were at the dock. We quickly removed our shoes and hopped back on the boat. I was a little iffy about going back to the front of the boat so I stayed in the rear. The ride went much smoother than coming. We stopped by the blue grotto, where Shannon and one of the other girls from our hostel jumped in the water. The driver advised for people not to go swimming since the tide was high and the water was freezing. However; they went anyway. Once the girls were back on the boat, we proceeded to Sorrento. From the blue grotto it only took about 20 more minutes. When we reached the dock, we were happy to see that our van was waiting to transport us back to our hostel.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Our second day in Rome began just as the first. We went to breakfast, using our free ticket from the bed and breakfast, at Mauri’s. We each had a croissant and a cappuccino. Afterwards, we headed for the Vatican Museum. We had no idea what to expect, but as we walked closer we saw the line. It looked as if it would never end, but we soon found the back. Most of the people in line were tourists, as we were, and only wanted to see the famous Sistine Chapel. The chapel is only one of the magnificent attractions to see once inside. We stood there for a total of two hours and a half. It was dreadful, but we really wanted to get in so we waited. Close by the entrance I had begun to grow impatient, but realized we had come too far to turn around. Once inside, the wait was still not over. We had to divide into lines to buy our tickets, which all could have been avoided if we simply would have reserved them online. Unfortunately, we did not.
After going through the security check we were free. Inside we saw beautiful fountains, sculptures, and frescoes. The last stop of the museum was the Sistine Chapel. It was beautiful; every inch of the wall was covered in art. The room was very crowded and hard to maneuver through, but we made it. In the process we lost Kelsey, so Jess and I figured we would wait for her outside. The exit of the Vatican was a long one. There were many hallways and gift shops as we passed, which were only a means to make money. In my opinion finding the exit took longer than seeing the museum itself. After about 10 minutes we successfully exited the museum. We decided to sit on the steps directly across the street, so we would be able to see Kelsey when she exited. It took Kelsey a long time to come outside; I figured she had the same trouble as we did. While waiting Jess and I ate the snacks we had packed for lunch and “people-watched”.
After nearly 15 minutes, Kelsey finally appeared. Once we were reunited we went to see the famous Spanish steps. We took the metro to Piazza di Spagna, a great example of Roman Baroque Style. During the Renaissance period, it attracted numerous tourists and artists. The same can be said today because of the Spanish steps. The steps were created by Francesco De Sanctis in the 18th century. They link the piazza to the Trinita Church. The fan-shaped steps were filled with tourists; you could barely see the steps. There were children and many teenagers playing near the Barcaccia Fountain. The fountain is located at the foot of the stairs and shaped like a boat; decorate in the coat of arms of Pope VII Barberini. Although the piazza was rather packed, we managed to take a few good pictures and leave.
Earlier that morning, we had had an unexpected change of plans. It turned out that our bed and breakfast was overbooked. As a result, we had to leave a day earlier. It did not bother us too much because we were extremely tired. It seemed as if we had seen all the main sites that Rome had to offer, minus St. Peter’s Basilica. It can just be our main excuse to come back and see more. Due to this change, we were able to get back to Sansepolcro on Saturday night. We were able to save money and sleep at the Palazzo comfortably.
On Sunday, we went outside to enjoy the fair. We walked around for at least two hours shopping and tasted different foods. For lunch we ate piadinas, which is a typical sandwich of the fair. I also tasted the caramelized strawberries; they were delicious. In the market I brought a pair of shoes for myself and I brought three toy cars for my nephew. He has been telling everyone back home that I am going to bring him back Italian cars, so I wanted to keep my promise. After the fair, I went back to the Palazzo to do some much-needed work.
Assisi
For our required excursion, the group took a trip to Assisi. It is in the province of Perugia and located in the Umbria region of Italy. It is the home of the legendary Saint Francis. He was born in 1182 and died in 1226. He was a very powerful and religious figure during the late Middle Ages, who developed an order for friars in 1208. His followers were called Franciscans. The world honors him as the patron saint of the animals and ecology, hence the reason that he is sometimes placed in people’s gardens. Inside the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, one can find an outline of Saint Francis’ life. The church, indeed the whole town, is an enormous tourist site and contains his tomb.
We had the privilege of visiting the basilica. It was incredible, it look just as it did in pictures. The view was beautiful and very different from others I have seen. The basilica is built on a hill on the west side of Assisi, which explains why it has so many steps. It combines two churches into one: the Upper and Lower church. Both parts are decorated in amazing frescoes by a number of prominent artists of the time. The Upper level of the church was painted by the famous artist, Giotto. The range of artists who worked on the interior of both portions combined to make the church a very unique example of Italian art.
My favorite fresco of Saint Francis was called The Confession of the Woman of Benevento. This was the 27th fresco, located on the left side of the church near the alter. It told the story of how Saint Francis blessed and raised a woman from the dead, after she had confessed the only sin she had not previously confessed in her former life. Her confession was witnessed by clerics as she died a second time in peace. The picture shows the devil fleeing from the scene in confusion as the blessing is taking place. I found this fresco very interesting and realistic. I really enjoyed the idea of the devil fleeing away as a shadow, as the angel appears. It was good to know the background information and the sequence before looking so I could understand. On a whole, the group spent close to 45 minutes in the church.
Following the church, everyone broke up into groups and ate lunch. It just so happened that everyone ended up eating lunch in the same place. It was this small restaurant not too far from the church that was very cheap. The pasta that I ordered was not too good, I only ate it because I was starving and did not want to go hungry on the hike later. I am sure that Margrita could have made the pasta much better. By the time we all finished eating, it was time to meet up again for our hike. We were all hesitating to go, because the weather was not looking too good. There was a high chance of rain and the clouds began to get darker as we walked closer.
We were set to meet up at Porta Cappucini and when we reached the top it began to thunder. Dr. Webb thought it would be in our best interest if we did not go walking because we might get caught in the rain. Instead we took the bus to another place. We went to San Giustino, a small town fairly close to Sansepolcro. This was said to be one of Saint Francis’s favorite spots. It was built for him in 1212, a little before his death. We were able to go inside a tiny hill-side church and see the life of friars. There were two priests who were still living in the church in the 21st century. From the location, we were able to see a breath-taking landscape. We could see a little of Sansepolcro and Citta di Castello. While we were there, it began to rain and we left. We reached the Palazzo a little before 5 pm and had the rest of the evening to ourselves.
After going through the security check we were free. Inside we saw beautiful fountains, sculptures, and frescoes. The last stop of the museum was the Sistine Chapel. It was beautiful; every inch of the wall was covered in art. The room was very crowded and hard to maneuver through, but we made it. In the process we lost Kelsey, so Jess and I figured we would wait for her outside. The exit of the Vatican was a long one. There were many hallways and gift shops as we passed, which were only a means to make money. In my opinion finding the exit took longer than seeing the museum itself. After about 10 minutes we successfully exited the museum. We decided to sit on the steps directly across the street, so we would be able to see Kelsey when she exited. It took Kelsey a long time to come outside; I figured she had the same trouble as we did. While waiting Jess and I ate the snacks we had packed for lunch and “people-watched”.
After nearly 15 minutes, Kelsey finally appeared. Once we were reunited we went to see the famous Spanish steps. We took the metro to Piazza di Spagna, a great example of Roman Baroque Style. During the Renaissance period, it attracted numerous tourists and artists. The same can be said today because of the Spanish steps. The steps were created by Francesco De Sanctis in the 18th century. They link the piazza to the Trinita Church. The fan-shaped steps were filled with tourists; you could barely see the steps. There were children and many teenagers playing near the Barcaccia Fountain. The fountain is located at the foot of the stairs and shaped like a boat; decorate in the coat of arms of Pope VII Barberini. Although the piazza was rather packed, we managed to take a few good pictures and leave.
Earlier that morning, we had had an unexpected change of plans. It turned out that our bed and breakfast was overbooked. As a result, we had to leave a day earlier. It did not bother us too much because we were extremely tired. It seemed as if we had seen all the main sites that Rome had to offer, minus St. Peter’s Basilica. It can just be our main excuse to come back and see more. Due to this change, we were able to get back to Sansepolcro on Saturday night. We were able to save money and sleep at the Palazzo comfortably.
On Sunday, we went outside to enjoy the fair. We walked around for at least two hours shopping and tasted different foods. For lunch we ate piadinas, which is a typical sandwich of the fair. I also tasted the caramelized strawberries; they were delicious. In the market I brought a pair of shoes for myself and I brought three toy cars for my nephew. He has been telling everyone back home that I am going to bring him back Italian cars, so I wanted to keep my promise. After the fair, I went back to the Palazzo to do some much-needed work.
Assisi
For our required excursion, the group took a trip to Assisi. It is in the province of Perugia and located in the Umbria region of Italy. It is the home of the legendary Saint Francis. He was born in 1182 and died in 1226. He was a very powerful and religious figure during the late Middle Ages, who developed an order for friars in 1208. His followers were called Franciscans. The world honors him as the patron saint of the animals and ecology, hence the reason that he is sometimes placed in people’s gardens. Inside the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, one can find an outline of Saint Francis’ life. The church, indeed the whole town, is an enormous tourist site and contains his tomb.
We had the privilege of visiting the basilica. It was incredible, it look just as it did in pictures. The view was beautiful and very different from others I have seen. The basilica is built on a hill on the west side of Assisi, which explains why it has so many steps. It combines two churches into one: the Upper and Lower church. Both parts are decorated in amazing frescoes by a number of prominent artists of the time. The Upper level of the church was painted by the famous artist, Giotto. The range of artists who worked on the interior of both portions combined to make the church a very unique example of Italian art.
My favorite fresco of Saint Francis was called The Confession of the Woman of Benevento. This was the 27th fresco, located on the left side of the church near the alter. It told the story of how Saint Francis blessed and raised a woman from the dead, after she had confessed the only sin she had not previously confessed in her former life. Her confession was witnessed by clerics as she died a second time in peace. The picture shows the devil fleeing from the scene in confusion as the blessing is taking place. I found this fresco very interesting and realistic. I really enjoyed the idea of the devil fleeing away as a shadow, as the angel appears. It was good to know the background information and the sequence before looking so I could understand. On a whole, the group spent close to 45 minutes in the church.
Following the church, everyone broke up into groups and ate lunch. It just so happened that everyone ended up eating lunch in the same place. It was this small restaurant not too far from the church that was very cheap. The pasta that I ordered was not too good, I only ate it because I was starving and did not want to go hungry on the hike later. I am sure that Margrita could have made the pasta much better. By the time we all finished eating, it was time to meet up again for our hike. We were all hesitating to go, because the weather was not looking too good. There was a high chance of rain and the clouds began to get darker as we walked closer.
We were set to meet up at Porta Cappucini and when we reached the top it began to thunder. Dr. Webb thought it would be in our best interest if we did not go walking because we might get caught in the rain. Instead we took the bus to another place. We went to San Giustino, a small town fairly close to Sansepolcro. This was said to be one of Saint Francis’s favorite spots. It was built for him in 1212, a little before his death. We were able to go inside a tiny hill-side church and see the life of friars. There were two priests who were still living in the church in the 21st century. From the location, we were able to see a breath-taking landscape. We could see a little of Sansepolcro and Citta di Castello. While we were there, it began to rain and we left. We reached the Palazzo a little before 5 pm and had the rest of the evening to ourselves.
All Roads Lead to Rome
For our second independent travel break Jess, Kelsey and I went to Rome. It is located in the central-western portion of Italy, along the Tiber River in the Lazio region. Rome is the capital of Italy and the largest populated city in the world. It has some of the world’s most influential subjects such as architecture, artwork, culture, politics, law, literature, and religion. It also includes the Vatican City, an independent city controlled by the Pope since 1929. Due to this, Rome is constantly flooded with tourists year-round and given the nickname “the capital of the world”. After reading about it and all its glory, I was eager to explore Rome and see all it had to offer.
We left for Rome on Thursday after a lovely lunch prepared by Margerita, our cook. We had penne pasta for the first course and chicken with vegetables for the main course. I ate all I could because I did not want to get too hungry on the train. After all, it would take 4 hours to get to Rome from Sansepolcro. Once we finished our delicious pasta we headed into the crowded streets to catch our 2:30 bus. The streets were crammed because there was an annual fair taking place, similar to the State Fair in North Carolina. The only difference is that this one celebrates the middle of Lent. I was a little upset that we would miss the celebration but I figured if we got back early enough we could still. There were all kinds of booths, demonstrations, and food along the streets. We tried our best not to get lured in by all the stands, but were unsuccessful. Kelsey and Jess both wanted to buy earrings that were 2 euro. I did not want any so I stood along the side, waiting for them. After they bargained for earrings, we went to search for the bus stop. It was very confusing since the fair had already begun. The fair covered all of Sansepolcro and the bus stop was moved from its original location. Instead of being near the café and restaurant as usual, it was further up the street on the right. It would take us about 3 minutes longer to get the bus stop. Just as we were crossing the street, our bus flew past us. I quickly checked my watch and it read 2:23. The bus was early and the next one was not coming for another hour. Instead of getting discouraged, we made the best of our time by walking through the fair.
We arrived in Rome at 9: 30 p.m. and immediately went to find our Bed & Breakfast. Everything was still open at this time so we were able to buy our Roma pass and a metro ticket inside the train station. I was really excited to purchase the pass because it would save us a lot of money in the long-run. This pass covered all public transportation, two museums, and discounts at other museums for three days. We paid 25 Euros for the pass but it was well worth it. After that was settled we went to find the metro. We got on line A which would take us directly down the street from our Bed & Breakfast. The metro went fast; it took less than 10 minutes. Our Bed & Breakfast was called Domus Betti. It was run by an older Italian man name Eugene. He and his wife had both run two bed and breakfasts, but once they divorced they separated the businesses. Eugene spoke English very well and was able to give us useful advice on Rome. He told us to be careful when crossing the streets and about thieves.
Later on, we took a long walk throughout the city. Our first stop was the piazza where St. Peter’s Basilica is located. Although it was night time, the basilica was remarkable. I tried to take pictures but my camera was not working properly. Our second location was at the Trevi Fountain, and we took a few pictures there. We were bombarded by men wanting to take our pictures, but simply ignored them. I wanted to shout out BASTA, my favorite Italian word, but they quickly understood we did not want any pictures and went away. We each made a wish, threw a penny in the fountain for good luck, and left. The walk back seemed to take forever. My feet were hurting from all the walking. Soon after we reached Doumus Betti, we went to sleep.
On Friday, we woke up at 8 o’clock and had breakfast at a nearby café called Mauri. Our breakfast was covered by our bed and breakfast, which saved us money. After eating, we headed to the Roman Coliseum. We used our Roma pass for free transportation to the Coliseum and for free admission. There were tons of people lined up to enter, but lucky for us we were able to skip the line. Once inside, we took beautiful pictures from the second level. We were able to find a nice man to take a picture of all three of us together. We spent about an hour inside the Coliseum then proceeded to the Roman Forum next to it. Just as the Coliseum, the Roman Forum was filled with tourists.
The Roman Forum contains a large number of monuments and temples that date back to the 5th century B.C., indeed back until 608 B.C. We walked up Palatine Hill and saw the Arch of Titus. We wandered around inside for a little over 2 hours; there was so much to see, which made it hard to leave. Once we finally made our way out, it was time for lunch. There was a stand close by, where we bought sandwiches. I had ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato on mine, while Jess had tuna. Kelsey was smart and packed her own lunch. We found a bench nearby to sit on and eat. It did not take us long to finish and before we knew it we were walking again.
We went to the metro station to get a lift to the terminal. All four parts of the Museo Nazionale Romano were located by the terminal. We wanted to see all of them but ended up visiting two. We went to the Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme and Terme Diocleziano. The Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme was formally a Jesuit College next to the Termini Station. It is one of the world’s largest exhibitions of art and contains four floors, including a basement. There are many famous masterpieces inside including Discobolo Lancellotti (Lancellotti Discobolus) and Ermafrodito dormiente (Sleeping Hermaphrodite). All the sculptures were astonishing and most of them I had studied before. Afterward, we scurried through traffic to the Terme Diocleziano. This museum built by the order of the emperors Massimiano and Diocleziano in 298 A.D. It includes a rotunda, the hall of Sant’Isidoro, luxurious gardens, gyms, changing rooms, and successfully illustrates the birth and diffusion of the Latin alphabet. Masterpieces from famous artists, such as Michelangelo, can be found inside the museum as well. We found this museum to be very interesting, calm and peaceful. We snapped a lot of pictures in the gardens and near the fountains. We sat and rested for quite some time before leaving. We liked this museum better than the first one.
Following the National Museums of Rome, we visited the Pantheon. It is a very famous site that was built over 1800 years ago. It still remains today as a tribute to the building skill of the ancient Roman Empire. It is one of the world’s oldest stone structures and contains the tombs of Raphael and Italian kings. The interior is amazing and the ceiling has only one cut-out, the oculus, which was once the only source of light. When we entered we were overwhelmed by its interior and people. The Pantheon was flooded with tourists and we escaped after taking many pictures.
Considering that we had been looking at historical sites all day, we all agreed that it was time for a little shopping. We searched nonstop for markets but it was harder than we expected. We saw a few booths but nothing like the markets in Florence. However, we did stop at one booth to buy t-shirts that were three for 10 Euros. I bought two shirts for myself and one for my brother. I was excited that I had finally found the perfect shirt for him; it read “Roma” in graffiti. As soon as we were done we went on main streets to look for places to shop. We found a huge street called Via Corso that was lined with many stores. There were also a lot of American stores there, such as H&M. It is one of my favorite stores, so it was only a matter of time before we stopped there.
First we went into a store called Zara’s, which seems very popular in Italy. Kelsey was dying to shop there since she had seen so many people carrying the bags around. We spent about a half hour inside, despite the fact that we spent 15 minutes looking for Kelsey. She was lost inside the store, so Jess and I waited outside until she found us. Next we went to H&M. It was packed with people, mostly Americans. I was able to find two cute shirts, a cheap pair of sandals, and accessories for fewer than 30 Euros. While comparing our items at the register, we noticed that we had the same shirt but in a different color. We all intended to wear it on our beach trip to Capri in two weeks. We spent little time in H&M, but it was well worth it. Shopping made us work up an appetite, and by then it was time for dinner. We did not have trouble deciding where to eat. We all agreed to finish our day off Americanized, by having dinner at the Hard Rock café.
We left for Rome on Thursday after a lovely lunch prepared by Margerita, our cook. We had penne pasta for the first course and chicken with vegetables for the main course. I ate all I could because I did not want to get too hungry on the train. After all, it would take 4 hours to get to Rome from Sansepolcro. Once we finished our delicious pasta we headed into the crowded streets to catch our 2:30 bus. The streets were crammed because there was an annual fair taking place, similar to the State Fair in North Carolina. The only difference is that this one celebrates the middle of Lent. I was a little upset that we would miss the celebration but I figured if we got back early enough we could still. There were all kinds of booths, demonstrations, and food along the streets. We tried our best not to get lured in by all the stands, but were unsuccessful. Kelsey and Jess both wanted to buy earrings that were 2 euro. I did not want any so I stood along the side, waiting for them. After they bargained for earrings, we went to search for the bus stop. It was very confusing since the fair had already begun. The fair covered all of Sansepolcro and the bus stop was moved from its original location. Instead of being near the café and restaurant as usual, it was further up the street on the right. It would take us about 3 minutes longer to get the bus stop. Just as we were crossing the street, our bus flew past us. I quickly checked my watch and it read 2:23. The bus was early and the next one was not coming for another hour. Instead of getting discouraged, we made the best of our time by walking through the fair.
We arrived in Rome at 9: 30 p.m. and immediately went to find our Bed & Breakfast. Everything was still open at this time so we were able to buy our Roma pass and a metro ticket inside the train station. I was really excited to purchase the pass because it would save us a lot of money in the long-run. This pass covered all public transportation, two museums, and discounts at other museums for three days. We paid 25 Euros for the pass but it was well worth it. After that was settled we went to find the metro. We got on line A which would take us directly down the street from our Bed & Breakfast. The metro went fast; it took less than 10 minutes. Our Bed & Breakfast was called Domus Betti. It was run by an older Italian man name Eugene. He and his wife had both run two bed and breakfasts, but once they divorced they separated the businesses. Eugene spoke English very well and was able to give us useful advice on Rome. He told us to be careful when crossing the streets and about thieves.
Later on, we took a long walk throughout the city. Our first stop was the piazza where St. Peter’s Basilica is located. Although it was night time, the basilica was remarkable. I tried to take pictures but my camera was not working properly. Our second location was at the Trevi Fountain, and we took a few pictures there. We were bombarded by men wanting to take our pictures, but simply ignored them. I wanted to shout out BASTA, my favorite Italian word, but they quickly understood we did not want any pictures and went away. We each made a wish, threw a penny in the fountain for good luck, and left. The walk back seemed to take forever. My feet were hurting from all the walking. Soon after we reached Doumus Betti, we went to sleep.
On Friday, we woke up at 8 o’clock and had breakfast at a nearby café called Mauri. Our breakfast was covered by our bed and breakfast, which saved us money. After eating, we headed to the Roman Coliseum. We used our Roma pass for free transportation to the Coliseum and for free admission. There were tons of people lined up to enter, but lucky for us we were able to skip the line. Once inside, we took beautiful pictures from the second level. We were able to find a nice man to take a picture of all three of us together. We spent about an hour inside the Coliseum then proceeded to the Roman Forum next to it. Just as the Coliseum, the Roman Forum was filled with tourists.
The Roman Forum contains a large number of monuments and temples that date back to the 5th century B.C., indeed back until 608 B.C. We walked up Palatine Hill and saw the Arch of Titus. We wandered around inside for a little over 2 hours; there was so much to see, which made it hard to leave. Once we finally made our way out, it was time for lunch. There was a stand close by, where we bought sandwiches. I had ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato on mine, while Jess had tuna. Kelsey was smart and packed her own lunch. We found a bench nearby to sit on and eat. It did not take us long to finish and before we knew it we were walking again.
We went to the metro station to get a lift to the terminal. All four parts of the Museo Nazionale Romano were located by the terminal. We wanted to see all of them but ended up visiting two. We went to the Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme and Terme Diocleziano. The Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme was formally a Jesuit College next to the Termini Station. It is one of the world’s largest exhibitions of art and contains four floors, including a basement. There are many famous masterpieces inside including Discobolo Lancellotti (Lancellotti Discobolus) and Ermafrodito dormiente (Sleeping Hermaphrodite). All the sculptures were astonishing and most of them I had studied before. Afterward, we scurried through traffic to the Terme Diocleziano. This museum built by the order of the emperors Massimiano and Diocleziano in 298 A.D. It includes a rotunda, the hall of Sant’Isidoro, luxurious gardens, gyms, changing rooms, and successfully illustrates the birth and diffusion of the Latin alphabet. Masterpieces from famous artists, such as Michelangelo, can be found inside the museum as well. We found this museum to be very interesting, calm and peaceful. We snapped a lot of pictures in the gardens and near the fountains. We sat and rested for quite some time before leaving. We liked this museum better than the first one.
Following the National Museums of Rome, we visited the Pantheon. It is a very famous site that was built over 1800 years ago. It still remains today as a tribute to the building skill of the ancient Roman Empire. It is one of the world’s oldest stone structures and contains the tombs of Raphael and Italian kings. The interior is amazing and the ceiling has only one cut-out, the oculus, which was once the only source of light. When we entered we were overwhelmed by its interior and people. The Pantheon was flooded with tourists and we escaped after taking many pictures.
Considering that we had been looking at historical sites all day, we all agreed that it was time for a little shopping. We searched nonstop for markets but it was harder than we expected. We saw a few booths but nothing like the markets in Florence. However, we did stop at one booth to buy t-shirts that were three for 10 Euros. I bought two shirts for myself and one for my brother. I was excited that I had finally found the perfect shirt for him; it read “Roma” in graffiti. As soon as we were done we went on main streets to look for places to shop. We found a huge street called Via Corso that was lined with many stores. There were also a lot of American stores there, such as H&M. It is one of my favorite stores, so it was only a matter of time before we stopped there.
First we went into a store called Zara’s, which seems very popular in Italy. Kelsey was dying to shop there since she had seen so many people carrying the bags around. We spent about a half hour inside, despite the fact that we spent 15 minutes looking for Kelsey. She was lost inside the store, so Jess and I waited outside until she found us. Next we went to H&M. It was packed with people, mostly Americans. I was able to find two cute shirts, a cheap pair of sandals, and accessories for fewer than 30 Euros. While comparing our items at the register, we noticed that we had the same shirt but in a different color. We all intended to wear it on our beach trip to Capri in two weeks. We spent little time in H&M, but it was well worth it. Shopping made us work up an appetite, and by then it was time for dinner. We did not have trouble deciding where to eat. We all agreed to finish our day off Americanized, by having dinner at the Hard Rock café.
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