Daily life in Rome and Trip to Florence

I must first apologize for the lack of entries during the last two weeks; I’ve been quite busy. But, a lot of exciting things have happened since those first few days that I wish to share with all of you.

So, after two and a half weeks, I have become well adjusted to my life in Rome. A normal day begins with a cup of coffee from the local bar and a 25 minute walk to the Institute. After attending classes, I head to lunch at l' Insalata Ricca with my friends from the institute. I order my usual, grilled chicken and roasted potatoes. (Yum. This is probably the only meal that I don't eat some form of pasta.) Over lunch we dicuss our plans for the weekend after which we head back to the institute to work on homework. The day ends with a walk home, a trip to the local supermarket for dinner, and, yes, more homework. This may seem like a boring daily routine, but it is the unexpected surprises that occur in between that make my time here worth while.

For instance, about a week ago, a couple of us decided to make a trip over to the Vatican City. And while the weather wasn't the best, it was great to see. St. Peter's square is massive (Picture above). I'd never seen a place like it. And inside, it was even more grand. There was literally gold on every square inch. And of course, the art was amazing. Sometime soon, when Pope Benedict is in town, I plan to go back to here him speak.

Also, I must say that I love my archaeology class. The homework for it is long and tedious but in return, the actual time spent in class is amazing. We go on two fieldtrips every week and listen to lectures literally in front of the momument the professor is talking about. Our first fieldtrip (a week from last Thursday) was to Tarquinia, a city north of Rome. This was a major site of Etruscan power (before the rise of the Romans) and now is an Etruscan burial site. We spent the day exploring tomb after tomb, learning about Etruscan culture and burial rituals from hands on material. It was incredible. Then last Tuesday, our class made a trip to the Capitoline Hill and visited the Capitoline Museums. Again, amazing. And b/c the Institute gets special priviledges, we got to see some behind the scenes stuff. We had a guide lead us to the basement of the museum where we saw its foundation: an old Roman temple. :) Finally, this past Thursday we had a marathon event: The entire Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum (Picture above). And again, we got special priviledges. As well as getting early access to the site (we had the place to ourselves for almost an hour), we were allowed into the famous House of the Griffins. Absolutely beautiful (Picture on the Left). As for this week, I'm not sure yet what's on the agenda, but I'm sure I'll love it.

Although a lot has happened within the past couple weeks, I can't share it all. You would be reading a book. However, there is one last thing I'd like to share and that is my trip to Florence this past weekend. Despite being close to a last minute trip, it was a great experience. Friday morning I hopped onto a train with three other fellow students, ready to get out of Rome and explore new places. Florence, while small, has a lot to keep one busy. During the 48 hours I was there, I visited the Duomo, climbed the dome of the Duome, visited the Ponte Vecchio, saw Dante's house, climbed the hill up to Michaelangelo's Piazza, and spent several hours in the Uffizi Gallery. I slept very well after that marathon but it was well worth it; I had a wonderful Valentine weekend (Pictures Below). And now, it's off to more adventures in Rome until my next excursion within Italy and elsewhere. Ciao.