Flashback: Rome Update 15
December 6, 2004
Merry Christmas, Lovely People -
This past week was full of fun random stories of continued life here in Rome. We had nine house guests the majority of last week who slept all over our apartment. They were friends of Liza's from Marquette University and they had a week off from their school in Ireland to prepare for exams and it was fun. We have a pretty spacious apartment, but with nine extra people it becomes not so spacious very quickly. We're college kids and people just slept everywhere - it was fun (well, maybe I'm only saying that because I retained my bed).
I found the Mouth of Truth this past week (famous for it's scene in Roman Holiday) but it was late at night so I could only see it through the gate and I couldn't put my hand in it's mouth. At least now I know where it is and I can go back before I leave. The Mouth of Truth is a flat stone face with an open mouth which is said to bite off the hand of
any liars who are brave enough to put their hand in it's mouth. Apparently during the Middle Ages, priests wanted to keep the myth going and so they would put scorpions back behind the mouth when they suspected a dishonest church member was coming to the mouth. Hopefully no scorpions will be there when I try it.
My roommates and I have been spending as much time together as possible before we go our separate ways and so we started this week delegating certain roommate bonding nights and we either go to dinner or cook dinner or go out or stay in, but we delegate the night for being together. It has been a lot of fun - and it was much needed this week once the nine house guests left.
The temperature here has been incredibly mild. We've gotten a lot of rain, but on the days when we don't get rain (every three days or so), it is incredibly warm. A simple long sleeve shirt, and you're good to go. On one of these mild nights I went for a nice long walk around Rome (enjoying the city while I still can). I walked for over three hours and never had to retrace my steps (something that is just plain impossible back in Lexington). I walked past the Vatican to the Castle d' San Angelo over to a Christmas Bizarre at Piazza Navona, to the Pantheon, to the Trevi Fountain, up to the Spanish Steps, down to the Victorio Emmanuel Building in Piazza Venezia, and then home past the Turtle Fountain. It was a beautiful night and I loved being able to walk around Rome on such a warm and wonderful night. I don't know how many more free nights like that I will have.
My sorority sisters, Lydia Toso and Heather Bane came in for a quick visit yesterday and today and it was great to see them both. Lydia (as I've mentioned before) is working outside of Florence, and Heather is teaching English in Madrid for a year before starting med school in the fall. It was wonderful to see the two of them.
This morning I went with Heather to stand in line for the Sistine Chapel (which come to think of it, I TOTALLY forgot to write about in my last update, that I saw it last week). Last Sunday, the Vatican Museum was free to the public (as it is the last weekend of most months) and I went and saw the amazing chapel. I actually have art history class
there tomorrow, so I am really excited to go back and hear lectures about Michelangelo while looking up at the ceiling. Anyways, I stood in line with Heather and the two of us visited together and then I studied some while she went inside the museum. Then the two of us went into St. Peter's Basilica which was incredible. We saw the Pieta (by Michelangelo) - another site of my class tomorrow, and the tomb of St. Peter. We didn't have time to go up to the dome, but I will probably do that before class tomorrow.
I have one class left of school here at John Cabot. After that it is exams and then I return to America two weeks from today. It definitely is crunch-time, but the crunch is in spending time in and around Rome with my wonderful friends before I return home. I will be excited to return to land that gets cold in the wintertime. It is hard to get myself in the Christmas spirit when I'm wearing a t-shirt but I am incredibly sad at the thought of leaving Rome. As a result, I don't choose to think about it often... :)
I hope all of you are getting into the Christmas spirit and taking time to enjoy this magical time of year.
I love you all.
- B
December 6, 2004
Merry Christmas, Lovely People -
This past week was full of fun random stories of continued life here in Rome. We had nine house guests the majority of last week who slept all over our apartment. They were friends of Liza's from Marquette University and they had a week off from their school in Ireland to prepare for exams and it was fun. We have a pretty spacious apartment, but with nine extra people it becomes not so spacious very quickly. We're college kids and people just slept everywhere - it was fun (well, maybe I'm only saying that because I retained my bed).
I found the Mouth of Truth this past week (famous for it's scene in Roman Holiday) but it was late at night so I could only see it through the gate and I couldn't put my hand in it's mouth. At least now I know where it is and I can go back before I leave. The Mouth of Truth is a flat stone face with an open mouth which is said to bite off the hand of
any liars who are brave enough to put their hand in it's mouth. Apparently during the Middle Ages, priests wanted to keep the myth going and so they would put scorpions back behind the mouth when they suspected a dishonest church member was coming to the mouth. Hopefully no scorpions will be there when I try it.
My roommates and I have been spending as much time together as possible before we go our separate ways and so we started this week delegating certain roommate bonding nights and we either go to dinner or cook dinner or go out or stay in, but we delegate the night for being together. It has been a lot of fun - and it was much needed this week once the nine house guests left.
The temperature here has been incredibly mild. We've gotten a lot of rain, but on the days when we don't get rain (every three days or so), it is incredibly warm. A simple long sleeve shirt, and you're good to go. On one of these mild nights I went for a nice long walk around Rome (enjoying the city while I still can). I walked for over three hours and never had to retrace my steps (something that is just plain impossible back in Lexington). I walked past the Vatican to the Castle d' San Angelo over to a Christmas Bizarre at Piazza Navona, to the Pantheon, to the Trevi Fountain, up to the Spanish Steps, down to the Victorio Emmanuel Building in Piazza Venezia, and then home past the Turtle Fountain. It was a beautiful night and I loved being able to walk around Rome on such a warm and wonderful night. I don't know how many more free nights like that I will have.
My sorority sisters, Lydia Toso and Heather Bane came in for a quick visit yesterday and today and it was great to see them both. Lydia (as I've mentioned before) is working outside of Florence, and Heather is teaching English in Madrid for a year before starting med school in the fall. It was wonderful to see the two of them.
This morning I went with Heather to stand in line for the Sistine Chapel (which come to think of it, I TOTALLY forgot to write about in my last update, that I saw it last week). Last Sunday, the Vatican Museum was free to the public (as it is the last weekend of most months) and I went and saw the amazing chapel. I actually have art history class
there tomorrow, so I am really excited to go back and hear lectures about Michelangelo while looking up at the ceiling. Anyways, I stood in line with Heather and the two of us visited together and then I studied some while she went inside the museum. Then the two of us went into St. Peter's Basilica which was incredible. We saw the Pieta (by Michelangelo) - another site of my class tomorrow, and the tomb of St. Peter. We didn't have time to go up to the dome, but I will probably do that before class tomorrow.
I have one class left of school here at John Cabot. After that it is exams and then I return to America two weeks from today. It definitely is crunch-time, but the crunch is in spending time in and around Rome with my wonderful friends before I return home. I will be excited to return to land that gets cold in the wintertime. It is hard to get myself in the Christmas spirit when I'm wearing a t-shirt but I am incredibly sad at the thought of leaving Rome. As a result, I don't choose to think about it often... :)
I hope all of you are getting into the Christmas spirit and taking time to enjoy this magical time of year.
I love you all.
- B
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