First Tours in Roma

Yesterday we woke up before the crack of dawn (my roommates kept complaining about some weird croaking noise that would not stop going, wondering who's alarm clock or music it was. When I finally heard a rooster in the distance and they both said "see? that's the annoying noise!") to get everyone on buses into the Eternal City.

So in we went, all 110 of us in two buses and we all walked in at 8 am into St. Peter's Basilica.

I had been in here before quite a few times, but this experience was unique. There were at least six priests giving mass in the small side chapels of the enormous church, and there were barely any other people walking around. So pretty much, anyone that gets up before 8 am to get there, is there for a reason and for the most part it is not a touristy one.

I got to see La Pieta surrounded by no flashes and no cameras, and no one waiting for me to finish see it, it truly was beautiful.

After about thirty minutes of exploring around and looking at small details I had never seen, we sat down for mass given by our campus priest, and other nuns joined us, all curious about who these 100 American looking kids were.

At nine am we met at the obelisk and split up into many groups to go into our walking tours, each led by a professor or an RA. I think I lucked out because my tour was the Art and Arch teacher (Art and Architecture in Rome is a course we take half on campus, half in the city), and she took us to many, many places.

Though I have been to Rome many times, it is certainly a different experience to walk with my peers who have not, and to be led by a passionate scholar.

We started at Piazza San Pietro and made our way to La Fontana del Tritone, La fontana di Trevi where everyone threw a coin back to return to Rome, the Pantheon, The Church of San Luigi dei Francesi which holds three of Caravaggio's most famous paintings, and then finished by seeing Piazza Navona before heading to Capitoline Hill. Though most of it was done in the hot, 30 + degree weather, it was very enjoyable and interesting. And our professor bought us all gelattos near the end :).

Today we start our first "classes" with a introductory half day and some people heading to get their Permesso di Soggiorno, or Permit to Stay at different times of the day.

And in the Afternoon we're heading to the Castelli Romani!