Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Roma

Dear Everyone,

It’s been ages, I know. Sorry! I just went off to Rome and didn’t mention it for weeks. The most important thing about Rome that you need to know is that YOU MUST GO. I was talking with my Dad and trying to describe it... Rome is Milan with her hair let down. It’s messy in ways that Milan would never dare to be. The main differences I saw between Florence and Rome, is that Florence was kind of chill and modest. Rome is not modest in any way. It knows its superior and it doesn’t care what you think. When we went May was just beginning- but the sun shone like it hadn’t shone my entire exchange, with any discomfort being swept away by the breeze. And the accent!!! How wonderfully bouncy!

While we were in Rome we saw tons of things in very little time.
I’ll try to make a list:
The Pantheon
The Spanish Steps
The Vatican City
(The Sistine Chapel, The rooms of Raffaelo, More modern art like Salvador Dali’)
The Colosseum
Saint Peter’s Basilica.
(La pieta’ and we went up to the cupola!)
A cool downtown zone (for the evening)
Another Michelango sculpture that I’ve forgotten the name of.
Roman ruins.
Double decker bus tour
The Trevi Fountain

I think that’s it…?
Keep in mind we did this all in two days (our arrival and departure days we did nothing)
I can only describe it as the most beautiful frenzy I’ve ever experienced. After exploring the city all day, we would all trek back out to our hotel in the outskirts and continue the festivities. The friendliness of the Romans was evident and I felt invigorated by the brightness of it all. Milan is glorious in its own way- but it’s just not bright. It’s gray.

We boarded the train months too soon.

Since then I’ve tried to knuckle down and do some school work, but it is increasingly more difficult as May breaks through even Milan’s cloud cover. All I want to do is be outside and roam around this city with the last bit of my time!! Jody got me a pedometer, and it just eggs me on. Today for instance, I walked 16.8 km. How many miles is that?

My happiness is overwhelming- and just to know that school will end in 3 weeks and a week later my mom will arrive- CHE MERAVIGLIA! J

Seeing you all so incredibly soon,
Grace