When in Rome

I have made it back from Rome alive and with all (plus some) of the belongings I left with! It is an absolutely gorgeous city. I have added a new link of some of the pictures I took, so everyone needs to check those out.

We left for Rome with the class early Friday morning and took the 50 minute train ride into the city. We saw the Colesseo, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Trevi, Spanish Steps, St. Peter's and so much more. Pictures of all these are included. We made quite the hike around the city with the class while our teacher gave us all a brief history of the sites via whisper units. Needless to say I spent most of my time taking pictures.

Adriana, Alex, Lydia and I stayed with Adriana's cousin Mattia and his roommate Marco. They made us an awesome dinner and accompanied our ears to some new Italian words and phrases. We had a blast meeting them and their friends. When we left the apartment the next morning to head to St. Pete's we didn't know how to get out of the gate the blocks off their apartment. I'm sure you all have guessed that the four of us had to climb the gate in order to exit the parking lot. It's a good thing we were on our way to a church!

I just want to let everyone know why we all had such good luck with repelling the thieves on this trip. After we left the Pantheon we were walking down the street on our way to a paper store. A few feet in front of me I noticed a man drop quite a bit of money out of his pocket. I picked up the money and ran, chasing after him down the alley around the corner. I caught up to him and returned his money! He spoke Italian, so I can only guess that it was appreciated. However, I am glad that our group had some good karma following that incident. Alex and Adriana Found a wallet in the subway station that they also returned to security. I just thought I should let everyone know how easy it is to make better luck for yourself in Rome.

I hope you all enjoy the pictures! I took a bunch on this trip and there will be more to come in the upcoming trips to other cities. I miss you all!

Veni Vidi Vici

Today we went to the Orvieto Underground, I have added pictures to my link. It was incredible. We walked around the Etruscan living quarters that are over thousands of years old. We had some great views into history as well as more of the Italian countryside surrounding Orvieto. This picture was my favorite that I took today. I found some wild berries growing along the path we walked to get down there, I though they were too beautiful to pass up the photo opportunity. I have set this picture as the background of my computer even!

Today we began making our spring break arrangements. We're going to Ireland! We will be there for 9 days and 8 nights in the middle of March (including St. Patrick's Day) and I can't wait! As of now there are 5 of us planning to travel together, possibly more will join in the future. We book our flights today, so it looks as if I will definitely be going! We still have to book a couple train rides in Italy and find what to do about transportation while in Ireland, as well as book hotels/hostels. We fly into Dublin and will definitely be visiting the Cliffs of Moher and more of the Southern region or Ireland. Everyone be sure to check out pictures or what I'll soon be seeing! You can later compare them with pictures of my own.

We take our first trip to Rome this weekend. Alex, Adriana and I are going to stay Friday night with Adriana's cousin so we can do a little more than we have planned with the class. I'm really looking forward to seeing the city and more of Italy than Orvieto. I'll be sure to put pictures online as soon as I can after the trip.

We had northern winds through the city today meaning tomorrow will be the clearest day we will have seen since we've arrived in Orvieto. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I'm getting up in the morning to go take some pictures of the hills with Chuck and Adriana using our telephoto lenses and Chuck's tripod. I'm sure as long as I have internet for long enough I will be uploading those pictures as well.

Until next time, Ciao!

The Beginning

We arrived to Orvieto on January 20 and the weather has been great since we got here. My apartment overlooks Piazza del Popolo where every Thursday and Sunday there is a market with produce, clothing and the sort. At first, our apartment was without a working refrigerator and stove, luckily all has been fixed and my three roommates and I have begun cooking for ourselves. The food here is great!

Classes started on Friday where we met our history teacher and were introduced to our first project. We are working with our roommates to make a map of different sections of the city. We have about 2 weeks to work and we have to give a 90 minute tour of our section and make a little guide to give to our classmates to better understand our way around the city. The density is nuts and the drivers are absolutely crazy!

My friends and I have found a cafe/bar where we have gotten to know the employees really well. They have free Wi-Fi here which is very rare in this city. We've talked quite a bit to the owner, Antony, and he has given us some tips on getting tickets for soccer games in cities nearby. We're hoping to make it to one soon! We even watched a game in a cafe last night of the two biggest Italian rivalries. Needless to say the cafe was crazy!

Just in case everyone was wondering...I've already bought a pair of shoes!