My Roman Holiday: Why You Should Always Apply to Study Abroad
In the spotlight for the past 3000 years, Rome, Roma, also known as the Eternal City, is a lively city with reminders of its past around every corner. You will encounter the glories of Ancient Rome, medieval and Renaissance buildings and fountains, great museums, fine restaurants and cafes, lively streets and squares. It’s a living museum of history from the Roman epoch to the present. It’s reason enough to study abroad in Rome.
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Studying History & Architecture in Rome Part 2
They say that a lifetime is not enough time to explore Rome (“Roma, non-Basta una vita”). Study abroad in Rome is even better. And while it’s true that few cities can match its cultural legacy, you don’t have to be an archeologist to enjoy it. All you have to do is walk its animated streets. Stride through the fallen columns of the forum and imagine them the way Caesar saw them. Smell the roasted chicken in the ancient markets, hear the roar of the crowds in the Coliseum, feast your eyes on Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and taste the delicious fried rice ball called arancini, or little orange. You’ll be swept up in the emotion of a city that has been inspiring artists and lovers since time immemorial.
Denied… Twice Good Grief
I spotted the card I needed just steps from the hotel but could not purchase it. My debit card was denied—twice. I paid for the ticket with cash and sped back to my room. Years later, my ears are still ringing from my husband’s laughter. And you call yourself a world traveler, he asked. He put me on hold and called the bank, assuring me it was a network glitch and not to worry. Later that day, I used my card to buy gum and a pair of walking shoes. However, in my defense, that was only the first of many network glitches I would encounter trying to use my American credit/ debit cards in Europe.
Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day.
Rome is a vast city. Many of the sights are concentrated between Stazione Termini, the city’s central transportation hub, and the Vatican. The study abroad in Rome scholarship gave me the chance to explore it all. They say Rome wasn’t built in a day—and you aren’t going to see it all in one day, either.
Having bought tickets to the Vatican and St. Peters Basilica online the previous day, I was able to skip the long lines of those not in the know. It also gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. With my map in hand, I made a beeline to the Sistine Chapel and found myself all alone. I was able to channel Michelangelo, lie on my back, staring straight up at the ceiling. I still chuckle when I think I think about it and wonder where in the heck Michelangelo ran into so many bodybuilding women. Once the silence turned into a low hum, I decided to check out the Vatican Museums. It was interesting to see the world, as medieval scholars saw it, through maps, painting, and sculpture, watching the world unfold into what it is today. I stopped back into the Sistine Chapel before heading over to St. Peter’s Basilica, but by then, it was standing room only.
Vatican City
It’s important to note that the strict dress code of St. Peter’s Basilica now extends to the whole of Vatican City. Even in hot weather, people in shorts, above-knee skirts, or sleeveless shirts may be stopped by Swiss Guards (the only ones allowed to protect the Vatican due to the country’s neutrality-based history). It took me more than 2 hours to get in. I urge everyone to research and not be that girl who stood before me the whole time and was ultimately denied entrance because she didn’t have sleeves. I even let her read my guidebook and suggested somebody in her group buy an oversized scarf or sweater at one of the nearby stores. The daily lesson: carry cover-ups, even if you don’t plan to enter the basilica.
Get the Roma Pass
My study abroad in Rome allowed me to visit the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum, and the Gallery Borghese. I often visited, was able to skip the lines, and purchased my tickets online. All sites have an official website. Or, consider buying the Roma Pass, currently €25, which entitles you to free admission to the first two museums and archaeological sites visited with full access to the public transport system, reduced tickets, and discounts for any other museums and places visited, as well as exhibitions, music events, theatrical and dance performances, and all other tourist services. http://www.romapass.it/. The crowds are heavy mid-day year-round, so either go early or late to avoid them.
Touring St. Peters
To say St. Peters is significant is a magnificent understatement. Walk to the center, look straight up, and rotate 360°. Don’t be like me and have to visit the Basilica three times before you see Michelangelo’s Pieta just inside the front entrance. It is spectacular, and for whatever reason, I missed it twice.
Roman Itineraries
Some people would rather get a root canal than spend a day wandering around the boutique-lined streets near the Spanish Steps. I’m not one of them. A day of window shopping for leather goods ranks high on my list. The same goes for cramming a dozen churches and museums into a single day. It’s heaven for some, but not so much for others. Double-decker bus tours offer hop-on-hop-off tours. They are reasonably priced and provide an alternative to a lot of walking. Public transportation is excellent and is the best way to get around.
Every night, I took a passeggiata with the locals, strolling from Piazza del Popolo to the Spanish Steps at dusk with a different flavor of gelato each time.
Finding Peace in the Pantheon
My last night in Rome, I decided to head over to the Tiber Bend area for lunch and spend the afternoon admiring the neighborhood’s churches and museums, including the Pantheon. The Pantheon, a former Pagan temple, was so admired by the Christians that it was spared and converted into a Christian Church. It is such a beautiful building. The Romans didn’t have the heart to destroy it. I love to sit under the giant oculus, daydreaming under the sliver of the open sky. Substantial white marble columns flank the entrance to the building. The inlaid marble floors are original. However, the sculptures are beautiful replicas. I highly recommend study abroad in Rome or any other European city.
A Gelato Per Favore
Walk back out into the medieval square, past the Trevi Fountain, for now, to one of the best gelaterias in Rome. Gelato is Italy’s edible art. The key to sincere gelato appreciation is sampling. Ask, as the locals do, for “Un assaggio, per favore?” (A taste, please? Pronounced, on ah-SAH-joh pehr fah-VOH-ray). After tossing a coin into the fountain, I strolled to the gorgeous Piazza Navona to view the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini. After dinner, I walked around the medieval Trastevere area on the other side of the river. It’s a fantastic area to mingle with the locals and do like the locals, shop for tasty souvenirs. You can go right with limoncello, olive oil, or balsamic vinegar.
I’ve been to Rome four times since that trip in 2002, finding new treasures to explore each time.
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