I absolutely love Rome. Our time here passed too quickly! Our first week in Greece somehow felt like double the time we spent in Italy. This program was not my first time traveling to this beautiful city, but it was my first time coming in the winter! I did notice it was significantly less crowded at major tourist destinations as opposed to during the summer, and overall, I’d say we experienced more tolerable weather – day-long tours in the heat of summer could be brutal.
Just a couple hours after landing in Rome, my friends and I wanted to do some exploring so we set out on a night time adventure. I was able to navigate us from our hotel to Vatican city, an area I am roughly familiar with. It was really cool for me to return to a place I’ve been and actually be able to find my way around. St. Peter’s square at night and in the rain was so tranquil, the whole area including the bridge of angels is so serene and majestic.
The next day consisted of a walking tour of the city, learning more about the Colosseum and Palatine hill. After our tour guide let us loose at the pantheon, I brought my friends and I to the Piazza Navona nearby, a lively square with 3 large fountains and many restaurants. Luckily for me, Italian food is more accommodating of my food allergies compared to Greek options. I came prepared with a paragraph I had translated into Italian, explaining that I can’t eat any form of nuts or dairy or I may die. This paragraph was crucial to my existence every single day of my time in Italy, and almost every day I happily ate pasta with tomato sauce.
The next morning, I woke up and got ready for Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Basillica! I am not Catholic but I still enjoyed the experience of being inside the majestic church. Later that same day, we saw Pope Francis deliver the noon address (he was a tiny speck in the window, but still) that was so cool!
My favorite activity in Italy was undoubtedly the Roma VS. Atalanta soccer match. Soccer has always been a huge part of my life and it’s always been a dream to go to a European football game. The atmosphere did not disappoint, it was SO much fun being there and sitting amongst all the incredibly passionate Roma fans. The score, however, disappointed me a little. Ties are no fun!
Rome will always be a very special city to me, and I can’t wait to return in the future!
