Busy Busy Roma

The following day, after Thanksgiving, my art history class took us on a weekend long trip to Roma, Italy’s capital. The weekend was full of eighteen American students being herded back and forth through the busy city. By the end of each day everyone was exhausted. Our art history teacher managed to take us to see over ten churches, the Borghese museum, the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, Saint Peters Basilica, the Spanish Steps and much more.

A couple of my favorite memories from this trip were spending Friday night hanging out on the Spanish Steps, admiring Bernini’s sculptures, and getting to know my professor. After getting a yummy dinner outside of a small Piazza, my friends and I walked over the steps, bought a bottle of wine and observed the city. We listened to Christmas music from one of my friend’s ipods and saw two separate couples get engaged. Quite a surreal experience and yet very romantic for them.  While there, I had my first batch of roasted chestnuts. The toasted chestnuts were very delicious and very warming. Just what I needed on a chilly winter night in Roma.

Rome is full of Bernini’s sculptures and my art history professor tried to show us as many as possible. I lost count after the fifth sculpture we looked at but I truly enjoyed his work. One of my favorites is his Daphne and Apollo sculpture in the Borghese Museum. The marble statue shows Daphne turning into a tree by the touch of Apollo. The way Bernini smoothly transitioned Daphne’s hard marble body into a whimsical tree was truly remarkable.  This was the first time I had seen Bernini’s work in person and I really appreciated his talent.

On one of the afternoons in Rome, my friend Krissy and I had lunch with our art history professor Katharina. Here in Italy I have a closer bond with my teachers than back at home.  I would consider most of my professors at CEA as friends, including Katharina. Hearing her life story, as well as many other small ones, was very nice. Eating lunch with her broke a boundary between us. I would never get lunch with a professor from Cal Poly but there I was in Rome sharing a glass of wine with my art history teacher. And later that night, Katharina took all of us students out to dinner and bought us all beer. This was another thing that would have never happened at home. It was hilarious but amazing at the same time.

Unfortunately on Sunday, it happened to be free admission to go see the Vatican and the line to get into it was a two hour wait. The good thing about this situation was that it was free and we didn’t have to pay. The Vatican was huge and quite fascinating. There was too much to take in and, at times, I felt overwhelmed, especially in the Sistine Chapel. It was horribly crowded and hot. Every couple of minutes the Vatican guards would yell “NO PHOTO” “NO PHOTO”. I found it pretty distracting and made it hard for me to admire Michelangelo’s and Raphael’s masterpieces. But overall, I truly enjoyed Roma. After running around the city all weekend, it made me appreciate Florence much more.