The Italians' Tomb of the Unknown Warrior puts Arlington to shame. When the good old 44 bus pulled up in front of it, my jaw dropped. Ours is solemn and definitely special in its own way, but here, it is both solemn and glorious. The limestone buidling at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, is topped with gladiators on chariots. The Vittoriano in Piazza Venezia was originally made for King Vittorio; their "Unknown Warrior" is buried inside it. It has steps on which you may not sit or play and flags flying all around it. There are two eternal flames and several guards.
I have seen more Piazze in two days than I have seen in my 19 years of life. Here, however, the plazas are not the American "stick a fountain in the sidewalk and call it a plaza." They have such character and imporatance. Yesterday we went to Piazza di Spagna and saw the Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti (Spanish Steps). While it was packed with tourists (which I guess I am too, cringe), it was beautiful. We climbed all 137 of them and saw the Piazza della Trinita dei Monti and its curch. It is an incredible view. Every rooftop has a garden, and the cobblestone streets that weave between Medeterranean colored buildings seem to go on forever. We spent the day meandering around above the steps and ended up in front of the Basilica which I will need an entirely different day to fullye explore. We then proceeded on to the massive Stazione Termini, the Romans' Union Station, if you will. It is complete with Metro, trains, and buses.
Despite our exhaustion from the day's walking, we were able to muster up the energy to go out. We went to Campo de Fiori, a night life hot spot. While there were a lot of Americans, there were just as many Italians. My gauge of the authenticity of my activities is generally measured by the above ratio. I figure if I curse the Cherry Blossom tourists, the Romans must curse us. And, judging from some of the faces I have gotten, this guess is not far off.
Regardless, we had a great time. We met up with other students and some of the AUR resident students who did our orientation, so they were able to give us tips and such.
After a night out, today seemed to start a little slower...but, we still managed to welcome our new room mate (who had visa issues and had to pay an extra $1000 to get here!) We also headed to the Colosseum. I was floored.
We were in the middle of congratulating ourselves for using the bus, tram, and Metro successfully when we looked up to find the largest, most impressive structure I have ever seen. The stone robbers who ruined part of it are real jerks because in its glory, it must have been unspeakably phenomenal, not that it isn't now.
What's more is that it is surrounded by ancient ruins. Around it is the Temple of Venus and Roma with pillars that look like they are glowing, the Arch of Constantine, the remains of the baths, the Palatine, and the Forum. We walked around giving it all a once over and immediately decided that each portion would need its own day.
A funny thing happened on the way to the forum (I couldn't resist), I tripped on the cobblestone and face-planted in front of the Arch of Titus. Laughter really does transcend the usual language boundaries.
Thank goodness for Latin, I had too much fun reading inscriptions. To see the Temple of Julius Caesar and walk on the Via Sacra is more than any Latin student can hope for. There is still excavation going on; I of course wanted to hop the fence and start digging but as it turns out, I was not allowed to. (Where is Kyle when you need an archaeologist?)
So, exhausted and overwhelmed, we returned home. Il più che vedo, il più mi piace (the more I see, the more I like.)
What struck me as interesting during my explorations is both the contrast between old and new and the coexistance with it. While I marveled at the Colosseum, people whizzed by with their Vespas and scholiosis cars (my name for the omnipresent hatchback-style cars.) They use their cell phones and wireless internet right beside ancient ruins. The antiquity of the city is very much a part of their culture and pride, yet they still live in the modern world. In my opinion, this is what sets Rome apart from every other city I have experienced. The S.P.Q.R. (Senatus Popolusque Romanus "The Roman Senate and People") from the ancient Roman Republic is still on trash cans, bill boards, grates, and cabs across the city.
Buona sera!
I have seen more Piazze in two days than I have seen in my 19 years of life. Here, however, the plazas are not the American "stick a fountain in the sidewalk and call it a plaza." They have such character and imporatance. Yesterday we went to Piazza di Spagna and saw the Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti (Spanish Steps). While it was packed with tourists (which I guess I am too, cringe), it was beautiful. We climbed all 137 of them and saw the Piazza della Trinita dei Monti and its curch. It is an incredible view. Every rooftop has a garden, and the cobblestone streets that weave between Medeterranean colored buildings seem to go on forever. We spent the day meandering around above the steps and ended up in front of the Basilica which I will need an entirely different day to fullye explore. We then proceeded on to the massive Stazione Termini, the Romans' Union Station, if you will. It is complete with Metro, trains, and buses.
Despite our exhaustion from the day's walking, we were able to muster up the energy to go out. We went to Campo de Fiori, a night life hot spot. While there were a lot of Americans, there were just as many Italians. My gauge of the authenticity of my activities is generally measured by the above ratio. I figure if I curse the Cherry Blossom tourists, the Romans must curse us. And, judging from some of the faces I have gotten, this guess is not far off.
Regardless, we had a great time. We met up with other students and some of the AUR resident students who did our orientation, so they were able to give us tips and such.
After a night out, today seemed to start a little slower...but, we still managed to welcome our new room mate (who had visa issues and had to pay an extra $1000 to get here!) We also headed to the Colosseum. I was floored.
We were in the middle of congratulating ourselves for using the bus, tram, and Metro successfully when we looked up to find the largest, most impressive structure I have ever seen. The stone robbers who ruined part of it are real jerks because in its glory, it must have been unspeakably phenomenal, not that it isn't now.
What's more is that it is surrounded by ancient ruins. Around it is the Temple of Venus and Roma with pillars that look like they are glowing, the Arch of Constantine, the remains of the baths, the Palatine, and the Forum. We walked around giving it all a once over and immediately decided that each portion would need its own day.
A funny thing happened on the way to the forum (I couldn't resist), I tripped on the cobblestone and face-planted in front of the Arch of Titus. Laughter really does transcend the usual language boundaries.
Thank goodness for Latin, I had too much fun reading inscriptions. To see the Temple of Julius Caesar and walk on the Via Sacra is more than any Latin student can hope for. There is still excavation going on; I of course wanted to hop the fence and start digging but as it turns out, I was not allowed to. (Where is Kyle when you need an archaeologist?)
So, exhausted and overwhelmed, we returned home. Il più che vedo, il più mi piace (the more I see, the more I like.)
What struck me as interesting during my explorations is both the contrast between old and new and the coexistance with it. While I marveled at the Colosseum, people whizzed by with their Vespas and scholiosis cars (my name for the omnipresent hatchback-style cars.) They use their cell phones and wireless internet right beside ancient ruins. The antiquity of the city is very much a part of their culture and pride, yet they still live in the modern world. In my opinion, this is what sets Rome apart from every other city I have experienced. The S.P.Q.R. (Senatus Popolusque Romanus "The Roman Senate and People") from the ancient Roman Republic is still on trash cans, bill boards, grates, and cabs across the city.
Buona sera!
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