The Eternal City

Thursday 26th, 10.30am: the majority of us flew back to United Stated today. We feel strange, it is now only ten of us and three staff (the director Anastasia, the drawing teacher Lindsay, and the art history teacher Paulina). But here we are, ready for a new adventure: Rome, the eternal city -as they call it-.

After a first stop in Orvieto where we visited its beautiful Dome and we had lunch break, we arrived to Rome around 5pm (Italian time). After checking in at the Hotel Smeraldo we walked in the center of Rome: Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, and Fontana di Trevi just to keep warm our cameras! Then, we had group dinner in a typical Roman pizzeria (Roman pizza style is different from Napolitean pizza style... it is very funny to see someone from Rome and Naples arguing about which one is the most authentic pizza!). After having a supplì and crocchetta appetizer and pizza, we went for a the first Roman gelato in one of the most vibrant neighborhood in Rome: Trastevere. By 11pm we were in our beds: it has been a long day and we need to be ready for our "Roman Holidays"!

Being in Rome is like to take a time machine and find yoursef back in centuries! On Friday morning we visited the Colosseum just feeling like Russell Crowe in the movie The Gladiator! We also walked at Fori Imperiali, and we visited after having lunch in the Pantheon area the Capitolini Museum. It was just amazing since the Capitolini Museums store all the valuable objects they found in the Fori Imperiali. Tonight we are going to have dinner at the Jewish Quarter, a nice neighborhood full of good restaurants, and probably -why not- we are going to finish our day with a huge gelato! PS: Do you know the souther you go in Italy the better the food? Which includes gelato? Yay!!

Tomorrow Saturday we are also having a pretty busy day: we are going to visit the Vatican and its museum! Do not be surprised if we are going to be victims of the Stendhal syndrome in front of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo! Tomorrow night we are going to spend more time in Trastevere where real locals use to hang out.

On Sunday we are going to visit Villa Borghese and we are going to have a pic nic in its gorgeous gardens. After visiting several churches to admire Caravaggio's work in Rome, we are going to have our farewell dinner. Back to the hotel we hope to pack everything we can from this last five days in Rome: memories, beauty, arts, friendship, and great emotions.

Ciao Ciao Italia!!!