Rome definitely wasn't built in a day, but this weekend my friends Liza, Amanda and I managed to successfully pack its incredible monuments, delicious food and thousands of years of history into about 36 hours. On Friday afternoon, Liza and I hopped on a plane to meet Amanda, who is studying abroad in Rome, for a fabulous weekend. After arriving later Friday night, we enjoyed an amazing meal before meeting up with more friends for drinks. For someone who wouldn't touch fish six months ago, I am proud to say that I am still dreaming about the spaghetti with tomatoes and sea bass we ate. Saturday we were up bright and early to fit in as much as we could.
After sufficiently caffeinating with delicious cappuccinos, we headed towards the Vatican. Even through the torrential downpour of rain, the streets of Rome were still beautiful. The architecture and fading painted walls were so different than any other city I have visited. While Paris feels historical, it is so evident just how ancient Rome is. We started in the Vatican Museum and made our way past brilliant art, through the Raphael rooms to the Sistine Chapel. Words cannot begin to explain how breathtaking it was (see sneaky photos below). I was very lucky to be touring with two art history majors who could help explain these masterpieces.
We then enjoyed a wonderful lunch of pizza and the best gnocchi I have ever had, before shopping and wandering. Around every corner, you are casually presented with a spectacular church or ruins. We admired the Spanish steps, gazed at the pantheon and threw coins into the Trevi fountain. Not that I could wish for much more these days...Each monument was just as spectacular as the next. I was consistently pinching myself, and just thinking about the centuries of history that took place in the city was overwhelming.
Saturday night we met up with a friend from Hopkins who is also studying in Rome and his friends who were visiting. I have been seriously missing my guy friends while in Paris, so it was so nice to have a much needed testosterone boost. After another wonderful meal, we went to a club in the Villa Borghese. This spectacular villa was used as a party villa in the early 17th century... so I guess we really did do as the Romans do?
Sunday morning, Liza and I woke up, packed up and walked to the Coliseum. I will let my photos do the talking, since I am still in awe of this breathtaking venue.
After a lunch that continued our streak of amazing meals, Liza and I hopped on the train to the airport and headed back to Paris. I cannot choose one favorite trip, but this one was definitely one of the more extraordinary ones. Just thinking about the history of Rome while actually standing in awe in front of the monuments is a breathtaking experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment