Well hello again to all my faithful readers, and welcome to everyone who has just joined me on my abroad experience. As I sit down to write this week on that which has just passed I don’t know where to begin. I guess it should be where I left off and usually start; the beginning of the week. My time in Italy is becoming just another day in the life of a student who happens to be in one of the most amazing places. This week I broke out of my routine of classes, eating, 
homework and hanging out to experience one of the things Italy is famous for….CHEESE! I along with my three other roommates joined other students for a night of cheese indulgence. It was bellisimo! Apart from Asiago, which I already eat on a regular basis I have a new favorite in Pecorino Fresco. I am told that I can use it to make macaroni and cheese, which I foresee an attempt at in the near future; some things I just can’t leave behind.
This week I also found out that I was chosen to participate in the experiential learning project “la Familia” for one of my classes. Each week I will get to spend a few hours with a family, learning while living like they do. I am very excited and anxious to start! I am also working on my first paper here in Italy….I’m sure some of you might be worried I’m not working hard over here with all my adventures. Don’t worry I am! I do have to say that I miss being able to sit down in a library like at Stonehill and have everything I need or could possibly want at my fingertips. But since that is really my only complaint so far I feel like I can’t really complain.
So that’s the weekly recap…here comes the weekend which was simply beyond words. Friday morning Sam and I headed to Rome! Being in Rome is almost like an out of body experience, and while I say that words can’t even begin to
describe I will try my best. Stepping out of the Roma train terminal is like walking out into a living museum. If I could have, I would have taken a picture after every step I took. 
After meeting up with my friend and fellow Stonehill-er Matt we headed out to some of the major sites. We saw Piazza Navona, Campiodglio and another one I can’t remember the name of. We wandered around inside the Patheonon, threw change into the Trevi Fountain, sat on the Spanish Steps, saw the Forum, Colosseum, and the Arch of Constantine. Needless to say it was a very busy day! Each thing we saw was just as amazing as the one before it. 
Saturday Sam and I had two main objectives: shopping (I know I know, every week) and the Catacombs. Well shopping we managed with no problems. We even managed to make some stops back at some of the sites from the day before. The Catacombs were another story…more like an adventure by themselves. Let’s just say after over an hour on the right buss going the wrong way we made it to the bottom of the street we needed. Unfortunately we needed to be
283 numbers down the street. So after we walked, and walked, asked for directions, and walked some more; God’s humor opened the sky above us and the rain fell, we got wet, and then we gave up! I’m starting to think that things like this are just inevitable from time to time. At least I got to see parts of Rome I never had imagined! Our journey brought us back to St. Paul’s Basilica so we decided to check it out as to not make it a totally wasted trip. It definitely made it worth it. The church in a word is stunning, big and beautiful.
Unlike Saturday, Sunday went off without any buss troubles. We lucked out that all of Vatican City is free on the last Sunday of each month which means we saved lots of money on the museums, but the lines were extra long.
When we crossed the boarder out of Italy and into the Vatican we headed straight to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, and waited in line for forever.
It was absolutely worth it. The Vatican Museum is one of the most beautiful and incredible places I have been. By the time you get to the Sistine Chapel and look up it is just overwhelming. I could not even begin to fathom that I was actually there, standing right under one of the most famous ceilings in the world; it did not disappoint. I have no idea how much time we spent looking at the ceiling, and even after we left the awe still lingered. You can’t take pictures inside, and even if I had I’m sure they would not have come close to doing it justice. We headed to St. Peters right after and hardly had to wait in line to get in! It had a lot to measure up to following the Sistine Chapel but it was incredible as well. First off it is HUGE, and it is gorgeous. As with so many things in Rome words can’t begin to describe. The best I can do is to leave you with some pictures.
I’ll leave you with my list of When in Rome:
- Do not get on the right buss going the wrong way, you will get there but it will take a while
- Buy a good map
- Paying for buss tickets is not necessary, getting of the buss when the men in blue get on is.
- Excessive PDA is acceptable for people of all ages; however staring at those engaged in it is not
- Cross the boarder and go to Vatican City
- Eat the Pizza
- Take too many pictures
- Take it all in
homework and hanging out to experience one of the things Italy is famous for….CHEESE! I along with my three other roommates joined other students for a night of cheese indulgence. It was bellisimo! Apart from Asiago, which I already eat on a regular basis I have a new favorite in Pecorino Fresco. I am told that I can use it to make macaroni and cheese, which I foresee an attempt at in the near future; some things I just can’t leave behind.This week I also found out that I was chosen to participate in the experiential learning project “la Familia” for one of my classes. Each week I will get to spend a few hours with a family, learning while living like they do. I am very excited and anxious to start! I am also working on my first paper here in Italy….I’m sure some of you might be worried I’m not working hard over here with all my adventures. Don’t worry I am! I do have to say that I miss being able to sit down in a library like at Stonehill and have everything I need or could possibly want at my fingertips. But since that is really my only complaint so far I feel like I can’t really complain.
So that’s the weekly recap…here comes the weekend which was simply beyond words. Friday morning Sam and I headed to Rome! Being in Rome is almost like an out of body experience, and while I say that words can’t even begin to
describe I will try my best. Stepping out of the Roma train terminal is like walking out into a living museum. If I could have, I would have taken a picture after every step I took. 
After meeting up with my friend and fellow Stonehill-er Matt we headed out to some of the major sites. We saw Piazza Navona, Campiodglio and another one I can’t remember the name of. We wandered around inside the Patheonon, threw change into the Trevi Fountain, sat on the Spanish Steps, saw the Forum, Colosseum, and the Arch of Constantine. Needless to say it was a very busy day! Each thing we saw was just as amazing as the one before it. Saturday Sam and I had two main objectives: shopping (I know I know, every week) and the Catacombs. Well shopping we managed with no problems. We even managed to make some stops back at some of the sites from the day before. The Catacombs were another story…more like an adventure by themselves. Let’s just say after over an hour on the right buss going the wrong way we made it to the bottom of the street we needed. Unfortunately we needed to be
283 numbers down the street. So after we walked, and walked, asked for directions, and walked some more; God’s humor opened the sky above us and the rain fell, we got wet, and then we gave up! I’m starting to think that things like this are just inevitable from time to time. At least I got to see parts of Rome I never had imagined! Our journey brought us back to St. Paul’s Basilica so we decided to check it out as to not make it a totally wasted trip. It definitely made it worth it. The church in a word is stunning, big and beautiful.Unlike Saturday, Sunday went off without any buss troubles. We lucked out that all of Vatican City is free on the last Sunday of each month which means we saved lots of money on the museums, but the lines were extra long.
When we crossed the boarder out of Italy and into the Vatican we headed straight to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, and waited in line for forever.
It was absolutely worth it. The Vatican Museum is one of the most beautiful and incredible places I have been. By the time you get to the Sistine Chapel and look up it is just overwhelming. I could not even begin to fathom that I was actually there, standing right under one of the most famous ceilings in the world; it did not disappoint. I have no idea how much time we spent looking at the ceiling, and even after we left the awe still lingered. You can’t take pictures inside, and even if I had I’m sure they would not have come close to doing it justice. We headed to St. Peters right after and hardly had to wait in line to get in! It had a lot to measure up to following the Sistine Chapel but it was incredible as well. First off it is HUGE, and it is gorgeous. As with so many things in Rome words can’t begin to describe. The best I can do is to leave you with some pictures.I’ll leave you with my list of When in Rome:
- Do not get on the right buss going the wrong way, you will get there but it will take a while
- Buy a good map
- Paying for buss tickets is not necessary, getting of the buss when the men in blue get on is.
- Excessive PDA is acceptable for people of all ages; however staring at those engaged in it is not
- Cross the boarder and go to Vatican City
- Eat the Pizza
- Take too many pictures
- Take it all in
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