My weekend was filled with a bunch of adventures! It began Thursday evening after class, when my friend Angela and I decided to search for the Trevi Fountain. We hadn’t been there yet, and we were determined to find it… without a map. We walked from the Villa Caproni, through the Piazza del Popolo, past the Spanish Steps and down some mystery streets and alleyways. After a slight struggle, we finally found the Fountain! It was a lot bigger than I had imagined, and the sculptures were so beautiful. I definitely recommend to those of you who are lucky enough to visit Rome one day to go to the Trevi Fountain at night. Everything is lit, and the pool of water looks like it’s glowing. I threw one coin into the Fountain, which means I hope to return to Rome in the future!
On Friday, I traveled to Tuscania with my painting class. A beautiful hill town in Northern Lazio, Tuscania has medieval buildings and churches, Etruscan tombs, and an INCREDIBLE view! We were also very lucky, because the weather was perfect for outdoor painting- warm, sunny, and a clear blue sky!
Later that evening after I returned to Rome, my friends and I ventured down to Trastevere. Trastevere is known for being a hip, funky neighborhood, with lots of restaurants and a high population of students. We walked along the Tiber River and found a few cute plazas. I would really love to return to Trastevere during the day, to spend more time exploring and to find yummy places to eat!
Sunday was an exciting, but very tiring, day. One of the professors led a remarkable walk around the Aurelian walls of Rome, and I tagged along for this rare opportunity. We all met in front of St. John the Lateran (the first church in Rome) at 8:30 in the morning, which is very, very early for me, especially on a Sunday! Thus began our journey around the wall, which first began its construction in the 3rd century AD! We walked counter clockwise, trekking up and down hills, across and under bridges, and through pleasant little neighborhoods of Rome that I probably would have never seen had I not chosen to take this opportunity. At 4:15, nearly 8 hours later, we finally made it back to St. John the Lateran, completing a full circle around the ancient city! By the end, I was feeling many different emotions: exhausted, sore, delirious, but most importantly, accomplished. My professor made a point that the group of us did something that many Romans would never do, even if they spent a lifetime in Rome. I was very proud of myself, especially that I didn’t give up and go home early. I can now say that I walked around the ancient walls of Rome, the same walls that thousands and thousands of people walked through and around for the past 1800 years! Pretty cool, huh?
Now another week of classes have begun, and I intend on resting my legs a bit (can you blame me?) I’m looking forward to more adventures this weekend, and I can’t wait to find out more of what this semester has in store for me!