When in Rome

Aye, Rome was intense. During summer Rome is visited by a lot of people. The streets become extremely crowded and the weather is extremely hot. Everyday was exhausting, so needless to say I am happy to be reporting from Siena.

The first night in Rome we had a welcome dinner with the whole group and walked around the city. We went to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.

The second day we went to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and St. Peter's bascilica and dome.  We climbed 551 steps to get to the top of St. Peter's to see a view of the entire city. It was breathtaking in more ways than one (if you know what I mean). We were exhausted.  However, there are absolutely not enough words to describe how beautiful that bascilica is. I felt so blessed and honored to be inside and around the Vatican, simply because of its beauty.



 
 
The third day we went to the Vatican Museum which includes the Sistine Chapel.  All the art in the museum was incredible because it was as if every part of the museum was a masterpiece (including the walls, windows, floor, ceiling, and installations).  The Sistine Chapel was not at all what I had expected. The ceilings are much higher and every inch of the walls and ceiling are painted.  Because it was such a busy time in Rome I had to keep hearing "Shhhhh" and "Stop taking photos" every minute while inside.  I was quite distracted, but it was still an incredible site.

The rest of the day was on our own.  My roommates, Jen and Missy, and I went around the city on our own trying to find things to do. We went to the "Mouth of Truth." Later that evening our whole group went out to dinner and some of us parted ways to experience Rome's nightlife. We all laughed a lot, even through the exhaustion.

The next morning we left for Siena and visited this tomb on the way there:

I am really enjoying my time here, and I am very happy to finally be in Siena.