Today we arrived in Rome after a grueling plane ride, on which I had two hours of sleep. Given that I had just missed night in Rome, I would have to wait another 15 hours until I could sleep again. When we arrived at the airport, I met several of my classmates. I introduced myself to Claire Oldfather, a southern country girl with a strong southern accent who is also extremely nice. I also met Ann Evans from Raleigh, Francissca Kang from (South, I think...) Korea, Connie Cheung from Hong Kong (She laughs at almost anything), Cindi Kepic from Dallas, and Arthur Imperatore (Quite an ironic name; must be descended from Caesar Augustus) from New Jersey.
Door to my suite- "Aeneas Lands in Latium"
When I caught my first glimpse of Rome’s countryside, I immediately knew that I would have one of the greatest experiences of my life here. Wild flowers and plants abounded beside the highway, having grown to such heights that (Ut result clause) they drooped over the thick, 4-feet railings, reinforced much more than U.S. Railings. “SOS stations” dotted the highway as well (the Italians are apparently very concerned with living longer). I also noticed that the trees here are in a mushroom shape, with a skinny trunk and a wide, flat top. Dozens of vineyards spotted the countryside, and the cool ocean breeze was flowing past me from the Tyrrhenian Sea. However, there was, inescapably, one stain on the beautiful scenery- garbage littered the highways and added an unfortunate and unneeded flaw.
The University of Dallas Rome campgrounds were stunning as well: a small pool surrounded by small beaches and a fence crawling with flowering vines; dorms arranged around a central courtyard with couches and tables; a “mensa” (kitchen) that constantly emitted delicious fragrances; a huge vineyard with a dirt path around it for running. After unpacking, I had lunch with the other campers. When our stomachs were full of tomato and basil-covered “pesce” (fish), garlic green beans and potatoes, and cold pasta, we departed for Cicero’s villa in Tusculum, just outside of Rome, which had been burned down by Clodius. As we made our way through the narrow winding streets, I noticed that drivers here, especially motorcyclists, are very daring, cutting through traffic with only a foot of open space. We hiked to the top of a mountain on Cicero’s property (of course, a dangerous intrusion), finding a spectacular view of the surrounding valley. I mainly walked around with Andrew Lifland and Alex Serebransky. After this excursion, our group travelled to Castel Gandolfo. On that day, the Pope was residing in his summer palace (Castel Gandolfo).
Castel Gandolfo
Papal guards, dressed as clowns, stood at the palace gates. Just outside the palace, I had my first true “gelato” (Italian ice cream). The sensation was sublime. Feeding my dried out mouth spoon after spoon of pistachio and stracciatella (Vanilla with chocolate chips) gelato while sitting just yards away from the Pope, watching the expansive valley around me- this is the life.
After returning to the campus, I had penne pasta, and an egg-spinach “pita” (bread/omelette). I am too exhausted to write more, so until tomorrow, after seeing St. Peter’s Basilica!
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