On our first day back in Rome after our time in Assergi, we got a ride from the Hotel Giampy to L’Aquila, and took a bus back to the city. We checked into our hostel, which was a little worrying because they lost our reservation, but we settled in just fine. The girls were all in one room, and the guys were split up in two rooms. We didn’t spend long there, and took the Metro to the Colosseum. It was amazing! It’s much bigger in person than one would expect. At its peak, it held around 75,000 people. Now, about 20,000 visit each day. It was very impressive. Such a massive old structure, to survive so long, is nearly unthinkable. We got to go inside and walk around, and we spent quite a while there. We got some things from the gift shop, and walked around the area nearby. There are a lot of other ruins nearby, and we saw as many as we could before the heat and hunger convinced us to call it a night. We took the metro back to the hotel’s area, and ate a nice dinner. It was a warm first night, but we slept pretty well.
Rome – Day 2
On our second day when we woke up, we went and got breakfast and cappuccinos from a place just down the street. The coffee in Italy is sooooooo good! A little street bazaar was set up in the street, and we shopped around before we had to go to Frascati. It was shaping up to be another 100 degree day! Or should I say 40 degrees? Once we got back from Frascati, we took the Metro to the Spanish Steps and the shopping nearby. All the shops were really expensive, but it was really fun to shop around. We found all sorts of cool stuff we couldn’t afford. Even a 2,750 euro pen. I got my mom a gift from a little Italian food store we found on accident. It was a really warm day, and we were all pretty tired after our day at the lab, so we took the Metro back to the hotel. We had a nice dinner, and some of us had gelato. It was a great day!
Rome – Day 3
Our last day in Rome was an eventful one! We had all day to be tourists! We had breakfast at the now usual place, and set off to visit the Vatican before it got hot. We took the Metro to the general area, and walked about a kilometer to the Vatican. We chose to take a tour, and bypass the wait to get in. We’d also get to see a lot more of the Vatican that way! We went through security with the tour group, and were instantly in another country! We spent about an hour and a half touring all the art and sculptures, as well as the structures in the Vatican. We saw lots of famous art, and even got to go in the Sistine Chapel. Nobody is allowed to take pictures inside it, and a dress code has to be followed. People are also supposed to be silent out of respect. It was surprising to learn that it would be closed to the public in about two years. Too many people have been breaking the rules, so we were very lucky to see it when we did. After the tour, we saw Saint Peter’s Basilica, and explored the Vatican a bit. Eventually, around 1PM, the heat started getting to us, and we took the Metro back to the hotel area, and had a Pinino at Super Pizza Kebab. It sounds weird, but it tastes amazing. We were all tired from the early mornings and heat, so we all took a nap. The girls’ room had air-conditioning, which none of us guys had, so all nine of us were taking a nap in that one room. When we woke up, we went out again to Trevi Fountain. The fountain was beautiful! Some of us made the traditional wishes in the fountain too! Since we were so close, we decided to walk the rest of the way to the Pantheon. The Pantheon was really impressive. It was really interesting how it was just in the middle of town. We ate at a classy restaurant across from the Pantheon, and walked the long walk back to the Metro. It was a great last night in Rome. We had a great time in Rome, but in the morning, it was back to the USA!
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