Saturday morning, I woke up earlier than everyone else and was able to skype call with Megan for a little bit. I was SO happy about that, as usual! The remainder of the day was spent typing a quick blog, running at the Belvedere, abs, pilates, packing for ITALY, showering, and moving out of our hotel rooms (and storing our bags in one large room for the 9 days, in order to not have to pay for our hotel rooms while being out of the country). I made a quick trip to a local H+M to get a few solid colored shirts, and OF COURSE when I was in the dressing room, the shirt I was wearing ripped down the whole left side..literally. Quite hilarious to say the least. We met back up with the group around 6pm to walk to the West Sudbanhof, the closest train station. We left Vienna at approximately 730pm and ventured out on our first overnight train experience, in a European sleeping couchette. The compartments had 4 beds each (bunk-bed style). Although it was rather cramped, I enjoyed it. No, it was not the best sleep of my life, but the environment was clean and comfortable. We arrived in Rome at 10am the next morning for our first official day of sightseeing!
Our first historic stop in Italy: The Baths of Caracalla, public baths in Rome built between 212-216 AD. The complex covers over 33 acres. I had no previous knowledge of these widely-used baths. I was in awe at how well preserved the complex still is to this day. The Baths were frequented daily by thousands of Romans for bathing and leisurely swimming. I definitely wish America would adopt this concept! Next, we arrived at the incredible Roman Colosseum (originally the Flavian Amphitheatre), the largest amphitheater ever built during the Roman Empire. This construction is certainly one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. Capable of seating up to 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. Let me just say, pictures DO NOT do this site justice. I honestly could have spent at least 5 hours in this sight alone. Just looking out over the ampitheatre and realizing all the momentous battles that took place thousands of years ago is enough to take your breath away.
In close proximity to the Colosseum are two well-known structures: The Arch of Titus and The Arch of Constantine. Although not quite as aesthetically impressive, but still important lies the Roman Forum, the central area around which the ancient Roman civilization developed, as well as the center of the Roman Empire. Although many of the columns and buildings are not fully intact, the remains are still impressive, considering how much time has passed since its origins. After the Forum, we headed directly to the Pantheon, built by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome. The dome of the Pantheon is overwhelmingly large in diameter (142 feet)! I never thought while studying the Pantheon senior year of high school in Humanities class that I’d get to witness this magnificent sight. The interior is beautiful and ornately decorated. After some time inside, we enjoyed our first Italian lunch and gelato experience in Rome, then arrived back at our hotel in the outskirts of Rome to rest and shower before heading back out for our 4 COURSE Italian dinner. After dinner, most of us were mentally and physically exhausted so we had planned on heading back to the hotel, until we heard the Black Eyed Peas song, “Boom Boom Pow” playing live, thus we decided to follow the beat. We discovered the song was being played inside a famous plaza in Rome, where an Italian RAVE was just starting. This is by far one of the best memories of the trip. Most of us ran to the front and joined in on the dancing. After nearly 45 minutes of dancing, being goofy, etc, we were drenched in sweat and decided it was best to return to the hotel. Words just do not describe how hilarious and fun this experience was for all of us. It’s the little, unexpected/unplanned adventures that are making my time here in Europe so memorable. Thus concludes our first full day in Italia!!
PS- I tried to upload some pictures, but it's not working so just refer to my facebook to see all the sights, etc!
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