Not wasting any time, two days after I returned from the Fall break trip I was off again. After classes on Tuesday and Wednesday (10/30 and 10/31), we had Thursday off from class for All Saint's Day, a national holiday in Italy, making it a five day weekend for me. Tough life, I know. My friend Nikki and I decided to sneak Rome in for two days before heading on another trip over the weekend.
Still a little tired from Halloween celebrations the previous night, I slept though my alarm. Good thing Nikki called me and woke me up. After running through the streets of Florence at 7:00 AM, I made it to the train station with time to spare. A four hour train ride and we were in Rome.
After checking into our hostel, we boarded our "hop on, hop off" double-decker bus tour. With maps in hand, cameras out, and headphones plugged into the audio guide, no one could tell we were tourists. Our first stop was the world famous Colosseum, constructed by the Roman Empire in 80 AD. Back in the day, it was capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the same capacity as present day Yankee Stadium. The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas.
Still a little tired from Halloween celebrations the previous night, I slept though my alarm. Good thing Nikki called me and woke me up. After running through the streets of Florence at 7:00 AM, I made it to the train station with time to spare. A four hour train ride and we were in Rome.
After checking into our hostel, we boarded our "hop on, hop off" double-decker bus tour. With maps in hand, cameras out, and headphones plugged into the audio guide, no one could tell we were tourists. Our first stop was the world famous Colosseum, constructed by the Roman Empire in 80 AD. Back in the day, it was capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the same capacity as present day Yankee Stadium. The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas.
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After pretending to be gladiators for an hour, we got back on the bus and drove around the streets of Rome until we reached the Trevi Fountain. The fountain stands at 85 feet tall and 62 feet wide, making it the largest Baroque fountain in Rome and one of the most famous in the world (it is actually replicated at the Italian pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World). Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the fountain, you are ensured a return to Rome, so Nikki and I both tossed one in. Turns out that around 3,000 euros (roughly $3,800) are thrown into the fountain every day! Too bad it was a bit too chilly for a swim.
| After the Trevi Fountain, we went back to the hostel and cooked dinner in their kitchen. Both of us completely exhausted, we called it an early night. Friday morning we woke up and took the bus over to St. Peter's Square in the heart of Vatican City thinking we'd be able to see the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, but we were sadly mistaken. There must have been at least a thousand people in line waiting to get in, and we were told it was about a four hour wait. With our train leaving early that afternoon, we had to pass on the tour. Hopefully the legend of the Trevi Fountain holds true and I get to return to Rome to see Leonardo's masterpiece. Back to Florence we go! |  |
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