So I have only been here 6 days and I feel like I have been here for months! Everyday feels so long and brings a completely new adventure. I am glad it is feeling slow because I am just having too much fun.
OK, so on Wednesday we went to Ostia Antica, which was an ancient Roman port city. It was basically a lot of ruins but there were so many! And you could actually explore in them. You could see temples and old restaurants and mosaics, and public bathrooms, and a bakery. It was pretty incredible. There was also a theater and this girl from our group went down to the stage area and sang an Italian opera song. She drew quite the crowd, which was a cool little moment. We also got a delicious lunch Ostia. We got some bread cheese and meat from this little grocery store. By far the best meal I've had in Rome. So fresh and delicious.
Ostia is so beautiful. The town is so quaint and full of beautiful apartments and houses and churches. After Ostia we had some free time so me and a few of the others just hopped on the metro and got off at random stops to look around and explore. Anywhere you go, there is something to see. There are gorgeous churches everywhere that you can walk into that are all so unique and decorated from top to bottom. It's like Utah where there are Mormon churches on every corner. Or there are Piazzas, which are basically an open area where streets meet together. A lot of piazzas have a beautiful fountains in the middle or a church or a statue. I have loved just walking around here. I feel like it's the best way to get to know this city.
Back in the day shops would have a mosaic by their door to show people what they sold. This one was a bakery :) |
We got a little loopy in the Museum in Ostia |
Yesterday we took things slower. We started by going to the Colosseum and then the Forum. Which are both amazing. It was so surreal being inside the Colosseum. The Forum was neat but I preferred the Colosseum out of the two. We had the afternoon off again so a group of us decided to go back to Trastevere to enjoy some delicious pizza and take a true Italian lunch break. I love that Italians take so long to each lunch. It allows you to truly enjoy the company you are with and the food you are eating.
We ran into an older man who some of the girls met the other day and just sat and talked with him for about an hour. I could only pick out a few words he was saying but Kaity and Diedra translated for us. After that we came back to our apartment and cooked a delicious meal of salad, bruschetta and bread. It was nice having a meal full of vegetables because I feel like everything I have eaten so far has been full of carbs, sugar, or fat. The ingredients we had were so fresh too! Every tomato looked ripe and beautiful and the basil came in bunches like cilantro and were just as cheap too. Also it was the best basil I have ever tasted! It was all extremely tasty. After dinner we went to see the Trevi fountain at night, which was so magical! We had an amazing slow Italian day yesterday. I loved every part of it.
Today was completely different but possibly the best day I have had in Rome yet. Today we had a free day to do whatever so a group of us decided to go to the beach. We did some research and decided Saboudia was our best bet. Getting there was no small feat. I feel like we are the masters of public transportation now. We took the metro, a train and two buses to get there, which took almost two hours. But it was well worth it because this was the best beach I have ever been to in my life! It was warm and not crowded (I could tell it was more of a local beach), the water was warm, the sand was so soft, the skies were clear. It was amazing! I took a nap in the sand and it was the best nap of my life. Everything about today was so relaxing and incredible. I swam in the Mediterranean Sea today!
I am loving Italy so much. I never want to stop listening to people speak Italian. It is such a beautiful language and such a beautiful city. Inspiration is everywhere and so are friendly people and amazing food. I can't believe I have seen everything that I've seen in such a short time. I now truly understand why they call this "La Citta Eterna," the history here will never fade, evidence of it is around every corner. I can't wait to see what the rest of the trip will bring!
i remember when we were younger and we would always talk about wanting to travel the world. you rock for actually doing it. :)
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