Family Visit: Day 2

Ciao Tutti,

Wednesday was a bit of a more "relaxed" day.  I decided to skip all of my classes and take a tour of the Vatican (again) with my Dad and Matt.  We woke up at around 9:00 AM and went to our hotel's complimentary breakfast.  It was actually pretty good and had a wide selection of pastries, yogurt, and cereal.  The American coffee wasn't very good, but most hotels and caffes over here somehow figure out a way to screw it up.

Our tour met at the tour operator's office at 10:45 AM.  We decided to take the same tour of the Vatican that I took a month or so ago.  We had a different tour guide, but she was still very good.   We decided to only pay for a tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel because I now know enough about Saint Peters to give the "short attention span tour" that my brother wanted.

At around 11:00 AM, we left and cut the surprisingly short line to the Vatican Museum.  We first saw a great view of the backside of the dome.

Then, our tour guide took us into the Belvedere Courtyard and gave us an overview of what we would see in the Sistine Chapel.  My Dad said it was worth the cost of the tour just to hear that.  I was also able to add some information I learned from my previous tour and my classes that the tour guide did not go over.  It was like my family got three tour guides instead of one.  After, we went and saw the Belvedere Torso and other famous artworks before finally ending the tour in the Sistine Chapel.  It was absolutely beautiful and I am happy I had the chance to see it twice while I am over here.

After our tour, we went to Saint Peter's Basilica and I gave my Dad and brother the "short attention span tour" they wanted.  We spent about 30 minutes in the Basilica and saw pretty much everything.  The only problem was that most of the alter area wasn't accessible because the church was set up for Holy Week masses.  They were able to see the Pieta by Michelangelo among other things, though.

After that, we went to lunch at a place very close to my apartment that I've wanted to try forever - Antica Taverna.  It was really good.  Matt loved it because they had bread and oil - something he was looking forward to having.

Then, we climbed the Castel Sant'Angelo which was nice because it is the one monument that I see every day.  It also had great views of Rome.  I was able to give them a tour of the castle/fort as I had a field study there early in the semester.  I think my brother was impressed by my knowledge.

After the Castel Sant'Angelo, we went to the Pantheon and it wasn't closing this time.  I gave my Dad and brother a quick tour of it and we sat down to relax for a bit.  Then, we went to see the Chiesa del Gesu which has an absolutely beautifully painted ceiling.  There was a mass going on, so we couldn't walk all the way around but I think my Dad and brother were impressed.

Then, we sat on the steps of the church and talked for a bit before eventually heading to Piazza Navona to listen to the musicians and look at the paintings for a bit.

After, we went to dinner at "Da Tonino" which is another restaurant close to my apartment.  Then, we went back to our hotel and collapsed.

Ciao,
Michael

Rome as a Tourist: Part II

Hi All!

Welcome to my new blog. I hope that you find this one a bit easier to follow. Before updating you on the past week, I want to go over the features of the new blog. On the right, you will find a few interesting links to my bucket list, IES Abroad, and two travel companies - Euroadventures and Bus2Alps. You can also subscribe to my blog via e-mail by putting your e-mail address in the "Follow by E-Mail". If you do this, you will receive an e-mail any time I update this blog. Finally, I have links to all my pictures on the right, so you can get a better idea of where I've been and what I've done. I hope this blog will enable me to post a bit more spontaneously and frequently as well.

Changing topics completely, last Thursday was Italy's 150th Anniversary of being a united country. This meant my favorite three words in the Italian lanuage - "non c'e scuola" - or "no school.". To celebrate, many of the museums in Rome were free. I took advantage of this by going to the first public museum ever created - the Capitoline Museum. It was comprised of a bunch of pieces of art donated to the city of Rome by the Catholic Church. It was huge! It had the famous statue of Romulus and Reamulus drinking milk from the she-wolf - I'd heard so much about it and was so happy to be able to finally see it. The museum also had amazing views of the Roman Forum!

On Friday, I took a tour of the Vatican Museum - it cost me €40 but was so worth it. I got to cut the four hour line and a phenomenal tour. I would not have been able to navigate the museum on my own, either. It has 1,200 rooms and 18 kilometers of hallways! We got to see the Belvedere Torso, Laocoon and his Sons, the Map Rooms, Raphael's Frescos, the Sistine Chapel, and the Last Judgement! It was an amazing experience. Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and the Last Judgement were my favorite, though. I'd heard so much about them, but words cannot do it justice. Also, my tour guide put them into context which helps you appreciate them even more! I put the link to the tour group on the right - When In Rome Tours.

Friday night, we went to an area of Rome called Testaccio. It is a bunch of old warehouses they turned into bars. It was the home to quite a nightlife, though. I was happy because it was the first time I've gone anywhere at night that was not dominated by American students. One of the bars was even playing Italian dance music! I had a great time.

I spent the day on Saturday trying to study (even though none got done) and I couldn't do anything on Sunday because the Rome Marathon shut down the city.

My next post will be about midterm week in Rome - fun!