Just when I thought nothing could top my week in Athens… Rome happened. I loved every second of my time in Italy and have made so many memories. I was excited to find out how the pace and availability of things to do differs from Athens. It was super fun to shop around, learn the culture, and find new things to do each day.
From the first day of touring, I was shocked to see how historical Rome really is. I didn’t realize how many ancient ruins there were throughout the busy parts of the city. It seemed like everywhere we turned we ran into a landmark!
In the food department, I had no clue how much our pizza and authentic Italian pizza differs! We grabbed pizza for a snack after we touched down in Italy, and it’s safe to say that we were all slightly confused. “The pizza isn’t circular here?” “We are paying by weight?” All sorts of questions were muttered as we ordered our first and certainly not last piece of true Italian pizza.
Aside from the immense presence of history and pizza, I was also shocked and amazed to witness the passion for soccer in Rome. Our group attended the Roma vs. Atalanta game. It was such a surreal experience seeing the huge flags in the crowd and hearing the chants before the game. Someone in our group made a good comparison to Aggie football games. Basically, as serious as us Aggies are about our football, you can still easily find people in the stands who are there just to be there. At the soccer game, however, it seemed as though all the fans were completely and undividedly glued to the game. I would say the game was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip; it was so cool to see everyone united over one common thing: Roma.
My favorite key sites in Rome were the Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Colosseum.
The Vatican Museum was so much more than I could have ever imagined. It was honestly overwhelming in the best way possible. The statues and paintings were breathtaking, especially when you start to think about the time and skill that went into making each little piece. Similarly, I felt this way about St. Peter’s too. I got teary-eyed when I walked into the Church. I genuinely think it was the most beautiful and intricate thing I have ever seen. There’s not an inch of the Church that wasn’t planned out and executed to a T. It was an experience I will never forget.
The Colosseum was also amazing to see in person for the first time. I love standing in such monumental places and feeling like you’re transported back in time. It was crazy learning about how gladiators would fight in the very place we were standing in. Being at the Colosseum, and in Rome in general, reminded me of how much history and growth there truly is behind us.
