The Eternal City

A few days before Easter Kristen called me and asked if I wanted to go to Rome. She told me that Thom had found cheap train tickets and a cheap hostel. The only catch was that we would "practically be staying in tents," when I asked her what that meant she said, "we'll literally be staying in tents." I didn't have anything better to do, and the price was right so I agreed. We left early on Easter morning, and after a few aspersions were exchanged between some very tired travelers we were on our way to Munich. The train ride from Munich to Rome took us through the Austrian Alps and the amazingly picturesque northern regions of Italy. When we arrived in Rome the group democratically decided to eat at McDö. Refusing to succumb to the tyranny of the majority I quietly and conscientiously abstained. Finding our hostel lodgings was quite an adventure. The internet directions claimed that we would be staying walking distance from the subway stop, so we thought we could reach it by walking. The only problem was that although it was arguably walking distance (~6km), we ran out of sidewalk about a kilometer away from the entrance and walked on the shoulder of the highway, at about 10pm at night, with all of our luggage but we made it. Our tents had all the ammenities you would expect from a modern camp site: zippered entrance, waterproof (mostly) walls, and so on.

The next morning we awoke, I ordered two coffees (because I don't speak italian), and we left to see the Colosseum. A few of us wanted to see the forum and a couple didnt, so those of us who did wandered around and took pictures of where the greatest empire the world has ever known was governed. We stopped for a quick pizza and then met back up at the pantheon. After that we visited the largest and most ambitious Baroque fountain of rome, the Trevi Fountain.  The Trevi Fountain, built "at the juncture of three roads (tre vie) marks the terminal point of the Aqua Virgo (in Italian: Acqua Vergine), one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to Rome. In 19 BC, supposedly with the help of a virgin, Roman technicians located a source of pure water only 14 miles (22 km) from the city. (This scene is presented on the present fountain's facade)." We then made our way to the Spanish Steps, which were a bit less attractive than normal due to an apparant restoration/reconstruction of the facade of the church Trinità dei Monti. We walked down the steps and past the fountain Barcaccia ("The Ugly Boat") to the Piazza di Spagna to do a bit of shopping. Shopping not in the various Gucci, Versace, or Armani shops but from street vendors hawking spurious designer goods conveniently located in front of the products they were attempting to imitate. Watching and listening to Emma and Kristen haggle with the vendors was amusing to say the least. As we discovered the goods were not simulacra, but rather since Gucci was closed today the kind street vendors were selling us otherwise unavailable authentic designer goods (Kristen, why did you have to leave a semester early?). We then went back to our tents and after dinner and a glass (or two) of wine we called it an evening.

The next morning we debated whether or not we wanted to go shopping or visit the Vatican. The majority (the girls) wanted to go shopping, so we hopped on a bus and accidentally ended up at the Vatican. After walking past the line to enter the Sistine Chapel (which wound about three blocks all the way to the entrance of the Vatican) we decided to visit the Vatican first. We skipped about half the line by joining a "free english language tour." My scam alarms went off, so after getting through the metal detectors Mere, Kristen and I split off and explored St. Peter's on our own. We saw the Pietà sculpted by Michelangelo, Bernini's canopy, and the tombs of all of the previous popes including John Paul II. After grabbing a quick lunch, we met up with the other half of our group and broke down and visited the Sistine Chapel. Thom and I then ran back to the camp site to grab jackets because I was bloody freezing, and then we met back up in the Pantheon. Hunger overtook us and we decided that it would be a good idea to grab some authentic Italian cuisine somewhere. With our stomachs full, we decided to take in Rome at night and revisit a few of the sights that we had visited during the day (the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum), and then we went back to rest up for our unbelievably long train ride the next day.

Our trip had a bitter sweet ending, as Kristen left for America the next day and it was the last day I saw Thom alive (as he also left Bamberg, and everyone who leaves Bamberg is dead to me). I had a great time in Rome, and I hope that my fellow sojourners are enjoying the afterlife.