When in Rome — Part Two
PNW Goes Abroad
After a packed start to the trip, Sunday was a free day for students to spend as they wished. Some went to visit the Basilica of San Clemente, some checked out a local flea market, and others wandered the city.
On Monday, we hit the ground running. We soldiered on through the rain, taking the bus to the Vatican Museums for a guided tour. With our tour, we had access to areas of the Vatican that are not normally open to the public, including the Bramante staircase and the Nicoline Chapel.
The tour ended in the Sistine Chapel, and we continued on our own to St. Peter’s Basilica. Some members of the group climbed the 551 steps to the top of the cupola for an amazing view of the city.
After a brief respite at the hotel, we headed back out for dinner at Hostaria Romana. We were offered an amazing selection of appetizers, including lots of fried and sautéed vegetables, like zucchini, eggplant, artichokes, and mushrooms, as well as bruschetta, marinated sardines, and fresh ricotta. Next came TWO courses of pasta. First was a cheese-filled ravioli in tomato sauce, and next was a linguini in a gorgonzola cream sauce. Finally, we had a choice of three desserts to end the meal.
On Tuesday morning, we started the day on Via Veneto. Via Veneto is a fancy, upscale shopping area in Rome; it is the famous location where Fellini filmed La Dolce Vita. We stopped in a cafe there and enjoyed cappuccinos, sprumeta, and cornettos.
From Via Veneto, we headed over to the Borghese Gallery, where we saw amazing sculptures by Bernini — including Hades and Persephone and Apollo and Daphne — as well as incredible paintings by masters like Titian and Raphael.
After the Borghese and lunch at Mangiafuoco, we toured the Catacombs of Priscilla, a Christian burial site where many martyrs are buried.
Wednesday began with a train trip to Ostia Antica, the site of the ancient ruins of a former port city. We spent a couple hours exploring the ruins and imaging the city that existed there thousands of years ago.
We took advantage of our proximity to the Mediterranean coast by heading to an seaside restaurant for lunch. We sat outdoors in the afternoon sun overlooking the water and enjoyed seafood risotto and platters of fried shrimp, calamari, and octopus.
Afterward, some of the group went on to visit the grave of poet John Keats in the Protestant cemetary near the Piramide.
We have a few days left, and much more to see!
