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Laura Our first day in Rome was the epitome of what I think of as Rome. With our hotel just across the street from the Ancient Forum, we were raring to experience all of the history that it had to offer. We began our day by touring the Forum. It was amazing to realize that we were walking on, touching, taking pictures of and viewing 2000-year-old structures. The arch of Septimus Severus (one of the almost perfectely preserved entry gateways) sticks out the most in my mind. From the Forum, we hiked up to Palatine Hill, home of the palace ruins, Circus Maximus and Augustus Caesar's house. But the most amazing thing to us Rome newbies was the view from above of the Forum and our first glimpses of St. Peter's Basilica in the distance. From Palatine Hill, we walked only three blocks to reach the Colosseum, the massive structure that is first in everyone's minds when they think of Ancient Rome. It's hard to believe that every time I use the metro in this city, I will be walking by this iconic building. The afternoon was reserved for group expeditions and I had no idea the adventures that would be awaiting me. My group headed off for our first solo metro ride and exited at the Victor Emmanuelle stop. Our first assignment was the old (well, I guess that most everything is old!) Santa Maria Maggiore church. This church, with its 13th-century frescoes, claims to hold pieces from Jesus' manger crib. We visited the altar, passing by the tombs of several dead popes. Our last stop for the day was at San Pietro in Vincoli, otherwise known as the church of St. Peter in Chains. Besides the relic of the chains that held St. Peter while he was in prison, I was startled to be face to face with my first Michelangelo, the Moses. The trip is only beginning and I am already just thrilled to be here with all of the sights and sounds of this, my first foreign city. Penny For the past few days I have had a goal to learn some Italian words. The language is beautiful and I was excited to be able to use a little bit of it. One of the first things I learned were the basic greetings and how to say, "excuse me." "Mi Scusi" is excuse me and 'Buona Sera" is good evening. It is funny how far these two phrases can take you. Next, I learned how to ask "where" and "how much." I have found that when I ask these questions vendors or locals will either stare at me blankly or try to converse with me. For example, as I am writing this we are on a train and three locals are chatting with us. I am finding that if we speak slowly and choose our words carefully we can get along well. If I had to decide five words that I thought were the most important I would say "Mi Scusi," "Grazie" (Thank you), "Uscita" (exit), "Quanto" (How much) and "Buona Sera." While riding the metro and pushing my way through the streets, I sound like a broken record saying, "Scusi." Also as a tourist and a souvenir shopper, I want to know how much I am spending. I am glad that I took the risk of not only learning but also using some new phrases. I think that it helped me to not feel, and then in turn perhaps not act, as much as an American tourist. Back to Off-Campus Studies >> Online Travelogues >> Rome, Florence & Berlin Study Program >> |
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