Getting around to this a little late in the day, but things are different now that I have someone to entertain :)
Yesterday morning I woke up at five fifty and quickly got dressed and ready and headed out the door. I walked a block down the street to the Trastevere station that has a train to the airport. The ticket windows were closed (what a shame) so I just followed the signs to the platform, and the train arrived at sex twenty one. I had no idea what the fuimicino stop would look like, I only knew it took about twenty five minutes to get there. I waited as long as I could without freaking out, and asked an old man if the current stop was fuimicino, He said no no no no, and then let me know when it was time to get off. As it turns out fuimicino is the end of the line so I had nothing to worry about :) I followed the airport signs to terminal three, but I could only find departures. I eventually went inside and saw a sign that pointed downstairs for the arrivals. I checked the board and saw that his flight had landed :) I only had to wait ten or so minutes with the little sign I made before he walked through the gates. We wandered the airport for awhile before we managed to find our way back to the platform. I gave Stu some bacci which are the original chocolate kisses, and a traditional Italian gift to give to your lover. We figured out which that the train that would take us back to Trastevere station had just left so instead we took an express train to Termini Station (Rome's main railway station) and walked to the hostel from there. We checked him into the
hostel, found an atm, and then began the trek to my apartment. It's about a forty minute walk to the end of the tram line, and on the way we passed the Colosseum :) which left Stu in awe. We took a few pictures before walking along the forum and past Piazza Venezia to the tram. I took him back to the apartment where we got settled and had lunch before walking to class together. Stu decided to walk back towards Piazza Venezia while I took my opera midterm. I totally rocked the listening part :D I was very prepared for it, not so much the multiple choice part, but I did ok on the essay and knew a few of the multiple choice, I'm feeling pretty confident. Art Gallery management passed quickly as well, and then I met Stu in the university garden. We walked back to the apartment before doing some quick grocery shopping, lasagna necessities, wine, chips(ish), and chocolate orange pudding. We then decided to go out for dinner and wandered through the neighborhood looking for a good cheap place to eat. We succeeded in finding somewhere, and afterward went for Gelato. I took him to the big famous place with perhaps the best selection in Rome. I got banana, chocolate, and cherry almond. all were delicious. He got caramel, cream, and Baileys Irish Cream. The baileys tasted a bit like it was made from just the liquor, but it all his flavors were equally good. At this point I had a nice little pot belly from eating entirely too much, but I was ok with it. We headed home, both exhausted at this point, Stu more so than I. After he picked his backpack up from my apartment he took the tram and then walked for forty minutes back to his apartment. He refused to let me walk him (just for the first night) and I had no way of knowing if he found it safely or not. I was worried, but needlessly so, he made it home a little after midnight. I asked Stu if he would right his point of view/ what he does and sees while I'm in class, but we've both been so busy that we haven't had time to sit and write. Perhaps I'll convince him to add to these next week once he's settle back in the states. So check for updates, they will hopefully be coming soon.March 15th
One week late, and a guest writer
My sincere apologies to all the avid readers of this blog, however, to start getting you up to speed Morgan has asked that I write my account of Rome. So, Stu’s side column if you will. Or a letter to the editor. Whichever analogy flips your trigger.
My flight over was fantastic! Minus the delayed flight and road trip to St. Louis all my flights went off without a hitch. I was even upgraded to first/business class for my flight to Rome. It was quite nice to stretch the legs and recline almost to the prone position for that flight. Definitely worth the detour, and much better than waiting until Monday to leave Kansas City. All in all it worked out great!
I arrived in Rome a little after 7am Monday morning and quickly found my way through customs to find Morgan waiting with a sign! I didn’t even have to look to find her! I quickly jumped the fence to give her a number of the hugs that I had been sent to deliver. It was great to finally see her. The flights seemed to last forever as I waited for the sights and sounds I’d get to experience in Roma. Well worth the wait however!
From the airport we made our way back to the city via the train, and from there stepped out into the heart of Rome. It was phenomenal. I’m so thankful that I was granted a guide from the get go, I would have been fairly lost if Morgan hadn’t been there to guide me to my hostel. From the first moment I left the train station I was struck by the detail, grandeur, and spirit that is Rome. From the cobble stone roads, to the statue-lined hotels, no matter where my eyes decided to rest there was something incredible to see.
From the train station we quickly made our way to my hostel to get checked in. Thankfully they did not charge me for the first night I missed as it was the weather’s fault (not mine), for my absence. The hostel owner spoke fairly strong English which was a definite help to our transaction. From there we headed for Morgan’s apartment.
The streets where insane!!! I’ve never had a stronger urge to NEVER have to drive. You couldn’t pay me enough money to drive in Rome. And the parking!! Many motor bikes..and CARS, would manage to find their way up onto the sidewalks for parking. Some would park mid-intersection on the quieter roads. It was unreal.
Despite the traffic we made our way back along the street and the first major site to come into view was the Colosseum. Morgan knows me so well. It was the number one site on my list to see. I was FLOORED!! The structure still standing, holding so many battles, so much blood, spectacles, leaders, and senators within its’ lifetime. It was absolutely amazing. My daily walk actually took me directly passed the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The road empties into Piazza Venencia and finally to Trestevere, where Morgan lives. Again, all the time my eyes struggled to keep up with each passing sight and sound. It was a little overwhelming, certainly in a good way.
Once to Morgan’s apartment, we relaxed for a time, before heading to her school. I dropped her off for her midterm and then made my way back to Piazza Venencia to do a little more exploring. I spent the afternoon taking in the square, perusing the museum, and wandering the area. The museum was fantastic! There were a number of exhibits from WWI and WWII. Sculptures, uniforms, monuments, it was incredible. I then took the opportunity to sneak into the Jewish Holocaust exhibit. I haven’t decided yet if I needed to pay or not, so simply walked in. No one started shouting so I assume I’m alright at this point. The exhibit was entirely in Italian, but the images, the artifacts, and the sound bites were all incredibly haunting, and well worth my time.
From the museum I continued down Via del Corso just to continue exploring and wound up in St. Charles Basilica. It was astounding. The detail and extravagance of this church left me flabbergasted. I had to continually remind myself to shut my mouth as I wandered from one chapel to the next. The vaulted, gold plated ceilings, the paintings, the detail. It all left me thinking about how little I am.
After my wanderings I made it back to Morgan’s university in time to wander home with her. From there we left to get groceries and to find food. We wound up at a quaint little pasta place in her neighborhood and I was able to sample the local wine and cuisine. It was delicious.
From there we ended our evening by walking down Corso and stopping by the Trevi fountain and another piazza. It was phenomenal to sit at this historic site and just relax with Morgan. It really was something. It was the perfect way to end our day, along with some delicious gelato. I wasn’t sure what the big deal was..but I now know. The flavor is EXPLOSIVE! I was incredibly impressed. It’s a very smooth ice cream with tremendous punch to its flavor. Definitely worth the trip in and of itself.
Hopefully I’ve filled in some gaps, if not, I will continue to elaborate as the week goes on. One week behind, but still moving forward. It was an amazing first day, and left me ready and raring for the days to come! So much to see, so little time.
Stu - Out
Food Baby! :)
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