My parents and grandparents got here on Saturday, which was very exciting. On Sunday morning, after they had settled in and all that, we went to the Porta Portese market, which, after all I've heard about it, was pretty disappointing, Mostly just a flea market with normal street-vendor things... ah well. After that, we walked around and made it all the way to Piazza Navona and Campo Dei Fiori. After a much-needed afternoon nap, we headed over to the Victor Emmanuel monument and went up to the top- WOW. I've gotten so used to Rome and seeing all the beautiful monuments that I've almost forgotten how beautiful they all are when put together in this city. From the roof of the monument, though, not only can you see the whole landscape and how it works together- you can't see the crowds. It was amazing.
Hey... I live here!
It was also fun walking around all of the forums, explaining them, and actually knowing what I'm talking about, and being able to show that I've learned stuff this semester!!
Monday, as usual, was uneventful...
On Tuesday, we had quite an exciting field trip. We started at the Forum of Trajan, which we got to go inside (once again... I'm the only one excited by this, aren't I?). After lunch we went to the Pantheon, and after learning that 'if you measure the distance from one end of the circle... to the other end... so to say, the diametrical distance...' (classics majors aren't good at math!!) we got to go INSIDE THE WALLS OF THE PANTHEON. That's gotta be exciting to someone other than me, right???
See the wall. And Professor Bucher walking into it.
The rest of the day was full of other, less exciting, things. You know, the usual 2,000 year old temples and such. I did manage to drop my pencil into a ditch in the temple of Hadrian... that'll confuse future archeologists! Hehe.
After the field trip I met my family at Trevi fountain and we walked over to the Spanish steps. After 2 months, I finally saw those! (I fail at Rome...).
On Wednesday we toured the remains of the Baths of Diocletian, which was cool, because they're located within different buildings spread out through the area, like churches and even a planetarium! Then we went to the epigraphical museum, which wasn't too exciting. I found an inscription with hebrew on it, which was nice, and we got to see the inscription that is our final project for latin. Which wasn't nice.
Thursday was, once again, uneventful. On Friday my parents, sister and I went to Florence! Honestly, Florence in February, despite the unbearable cold, is much nicer than Florence in April. SO MANY PEOPLE. It was interesting to compare walking into the Uffizi in February, buying tickets on the spot and getting in right away, to waiting in the reserved tickets line in April... hmmm. I saw David and Venus again, and got some leather goods. That was the good part of the trip :).
Sunday was Easter! With his magical powers, Franco managed to have an unlimited number of tickets to the Easter Papal Mass, so I went with my family. We got there a bit late, so we didn't get seats. But I got to kind of see the Pope?
I'll admit- this is my friend's picture. But I was there!
That evening I said goodbye to my parents, sister and my winter coat and headed back to the Centro. Where a 16 pound chocolate egg was sitting in the living room. Franco and Pina are the greatest. Unfortunately I missed the throwing of it on the floor to open it, but there is still plenty of chocolate... and will be for a few days.
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