The Past Few Days

Like my roommate Liz likes to say, we killed it these past couple of days. Although it has been raining non stop for the past two days my friends and I haven't let the weather slow us down. We've explored some new areas and we've already ventured back to places like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Today (Super bowl Sunday) we left the comfort of our dry apartment in favor of finding Terme di Diocleziano (the Baths of Diocletian) and Altare della Patria (the monument erected in honor of Victor Emanuele II, the first King of unified Italy). Both places were absolutely stunning and they were dripping with history. Because the weather was so bad, my friends and I pretty much had the places to ourselves.

In ancient Rome, it was very popular for the people to gather in the large bath houses in the city. The Diocletian baths were the grandest public bath house in Rome. Unfortunately today the actual bath parts of this amazing site are crumbling in ruin. The basilica (church) part, however, still remains intact and it is beautiful.

  The first picture is a view of the basilica from the entrance. The second picture is of the inside of the church. To give you an idea of how massive the building is, you can see my roommate Liz standing in the bottom of the second picture.

After the bath house it was on to the Altare della Patria, or as the locals call it, The Wedding Cake monument. Most Romans aren't a fan of this site. They think its far too large and gaudy. The middle of the monument houses Italy's version of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the top of the cake offers spectacular views of Rome. Unfortunately because of the pooring rain, I didn't get any pictures from the top of the building. I promise to go back soon though and post the pictures I end up taking.

The past few days have also been exciting because my friends and I have figured out how to navigate the public transportation systems! We have successfully ridden the metro (subway) and the city buses without any problems or picked pockets. 

Last night while we were on one of our metro adventures, my friends and I stopped at a random restaurant for dinner and ended up making friends with the owner. After dinner the owner (Daniele) invited us up to his rooftop bar next door and gave us free desserts and a round of free drinks. 

It has been so much fun exploring Rome uninterrupted for the past four days. Tomorrow, however, I actually start taking classes. Wish me luck! Ciao bellas!