Amici a Roma

Ciao everyone,

I know it's been a long time since I've blogged - didn't take my computer to Rome with me. But I have a lot to share and I'll try to keep it as brief as possible (although it's going to be a challenge). Also, school's started in earnest so I'm crunched for time most Mondays when I have to make up the work for the weekend.

I left Venice at 5:40 AM on Friday, Feb. 27, taking the first bus to Treviso, where the little tiny airport is. The airline I flew is Ryanair, which is a cheap and popular intra-Europe airline. It was only a 45 minute flight, which was made even easier by the fact that I packed so lightly. I only had a backpack with me, and inside were just my toothbrush, a couple of extra pairs of shirts and underwear. I'm not kidding, I was really roughing it... at least compared to what I've done in the past, that is.

I took the bus into the center of Rome, and it was just a whirlwind of confusion. This was the first time I was ever in a big city with no one I knew, and it was a city I don't know too well (although I had been to Rome about 5 years ago, my mental city plan didn't stick that well). I got a map and oriented myself, found out where my hostel was (I got a great deal here - 5 euro a night) and then I went for a walk because I wasn't able to check in until 2:00 pm. So here's what I did in the meantime.

I walked west, over where the Coliseum is, and took a nice look. The Coliseum is a little isolated, and it was almost kind of sad how it's all by itself, surrounded by modern houses, roads and cars. I actually went inside when I went to Rome five years ago. But I was starving so I got lunch at a little cafe near a school where a lot of Roman teenagers were changing classes. I looked at the map and wrote in my journal (I actually did a lot of journaling when I was in Rome since I was on my own a lot). When I finished, about an hour and a half later, I walked toward the center of Rome. I passed the Roman Forum and the Monument to Vittorio Emmanuele II (which is huge, and white, and shaped kind of like a wedding cake. At least, that's what the Romans call it). I walked up Via del Corso and found the church where I'd hear the BC Chorale sing the next day, the Chiesa San Ignazio. I didn't go in, though.

I then followed the signs to the Trevi Fountain, one of my favorite spots in Rome. The fountains in Rome are so unbelievable, and the Trevi takes the cake, I think - you just can't possibly imagine it unless you've seen it, even if you've seen photos. It is so impressive, so much larger than life. It's really, truly an epic work of art. And it's in this square, so without the signs, if you're just randomly following the streets, you'll hear a soft noise, almost like static, and it gets louder and louder, and the next thing you know, you're on top of a huge crowd laughing, pointing, and throwing coins into the Trevi Fountain. I sat down and read a book next to it for a while.

It was almost 3:00 though, so I decided to go back to my hostel to check in. The young woman running things was named Vanessa, and she was very nice and showed me to the room I was sharing with 7 or 8 other people. She spoke to me in English, but I spoke back to her in Italian, making it clear that I wanted to practice if I could. She actually had a long conversation with me on Saturday afternoon before the chorale concert about traveling, American culture, politics, books and films. I had a conversation with my hostel mates too, or at least 3 of them, who came from Argentina. We spoke in English though, because my Italian was too weak to contend with their Spanish, although they said most Italians could understand them when they spoke Spanish since the languages are so similar. I remember the Argentinians were shocked at how expensive American education is. Anyway, the hostel was good enough for what I was looking for; it wasn't as clean as the place where the Chorale stayed, but I doubt they paid 5 euro a person per night. For what I needed, it was perfect.

After checking in, I went on the metro up to Piazza Spagna, where there are the famous Spanish Steps. ALSO I remembered that the house where the English Poet John Keats died is right next to the steps, so I checked it out. It was open, fortunately, and I went up the stairs. There was a woman at the front desk, and I started speaking to her in Italian, telling her I was really excited about Keats since I study British Literature. She asked if I was American, and I said, yes. Then she said in a British English Accent, "Oh, I'm British. We can keep speaking in Italian though, if you like." Weird, huh? Anyway, I went around the museum, which had such sacramental literary objects such as a lock of Percy Shelley's hair, a piece of curtain from Byron's marriage bed, and of course, the bed where John Keats died. Keats' window looks out on the piazza, where Bernini's boat fountain is. It was amazing! And I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to go if I hadn't been traveling alone, I'm kinda weird when it comes to literary monuments (F. Scott Fitzgerald's grave, Folger Shakespeare Library, and hopefully Harry's Bar in Venice where Hemingway hung out).

I strolled through some of the streets near Piazza Spagna after the museum closed, looking in all the bright windows of stores like Gucci, Ferragamo, Dolce e Gabbana, you know, all the big name Italian designers. Didn't buy anything, haha. But I wandered - basically, you know, no time frame - through some small streets, residential and commercial, and I found a restaurant that accepted the food vouchers we use in Venice, so that sounded like a good idea. I didn't really know where i was on the map of Rome, but it didn't matter, I was relaxed, it had been such a long day (4:30 AM) that I didn't even care. I just sat there, people watched, wrote a little in my journal, spoke some Italian to the waiters. Darkness had just completely fallen, and I looked directly in front of me, maybe 200 feet away. There were some white-yellow shapes that seemed to have some rippling blue-green shapes around the bottom edges. I looked again, and thought - I was actually just at the top of Piazza Navona, and I was looking at the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers. With that, I just couldn't believe it. I was in Rome!

The next day I took the metro uptown, and walked in the direction of the Pantheon. I've already been, but I had to go back inside - to me, it really represents Rome. It used to be a pagan temple, and now is used as a Catholic sanctuary. Raphael, Vittorio Emmanuele II, Umberto I and Queen Margherita are all buried there, and the dome is an incredible feat of ancient ingenuity. I basically couldn't avoid going. Plus, I made a model Pantheon out of Legos in the 6th grade, so this structure will always have a special place in my heart.

I stopped at a bar on the way to the Vatican. It was a tiny little place, and there was a woman with a really low voice playing a video slot game. There was a man reading a newspaper, and a young couple came in while I was there. I ordered a cioccolato, which was really thick and chocolatey - unlike any kind of hot chocolate in the states. I got a croissant as well. I stood at the bar, writing a bit in my journal and taking in the atmosphere while enjoying my cioccolato.

The Vatican was unreal. I went there 5 years ago, but I found something new to do, something that would have been hard to do with a big group. I got in this big long line at Piazza San Pietro (which I just stood around in at first for about 20 minutes, just admiring how huge and incredible it is) and had to go through a security checkpoint. But I paid 5 euro (seems like that's what everything costs in Rome, right?) to climb the 500-something stairs to the top of the cupola of San Pietro. The stairs were steep, twisty, and in some places the corridors were slanted. I got a great view of the inside of the cupola in the Basilica, but when I emerged at the top on the outside of the dome, the view of Rome absolutely memorized me. That's about all I can say about it; it was literally being on top of the world, the ancient world, looking down into the piazza over the shoulders of the statues of Jesus and the Disciples.

Inside the Basilica, I spent about an hour and a half admiring all the art, especially the Pieta by Michelangelo, which is just so incredibly moving. The basilica is just so huge too, stretching up so high, it almost feels like the roof contains heaven itself. There are frescoes and mosaics everywhere, but it never feels cluttered - each work stands on its own as a masterpiece, and the arrangement itself works as its own masterpiece. Statues in alcoves, at the tops of the ceiling, I just can't believe it. When I was in line for the cupola, I passed a mosaic - really small, relatively, about 4 feet by 4 feet - of Jesus washing Peter's feet. I was just so struck by it, even though it wasn't a main work of art or anything. The Vatican is just like that.

That night I went to the chorale concert, what I had really been waiting for. I walked up to the Chiesa San Ignazio again, and this time, I saw some American girls with black BC Chorale frocks on - so I walked up (I didn't recognize any of them, but I did this anyway) and said, "Ciao!" And they had weird looks on their faces, but then I said, I'm a BC student, I'm studying in Venice, blah blah blah... they were really excited to hear that. Then I saw Peter White, who I know from BC - actually, his really good friend Theresa is studying with me in Venice. He brought me into the church, which was so incredibly unique and beautiful with frescoes of St. Ignatius, and then I saw Kaz and Meg! It was so exciting to see BC friends - in ROME! And Maggie Carr, who's studying in Amsterdam, was there for the mass too, so I sat next to her. Also in the Chorale were my friend from orientation Lisa Derr and LAG friends Anthony Papetti and Steph Fernandes. The music was unforgettable, most remarkably by the way it resonated in such a beautiful space. Somewhere deep inside me, on some frequency, it's still echoing... this church was an instrument as well as a space for prayer.

The chorale (I mean, Meg, really) invited me back to their hotel to dine with them, which I obviously accepted. I sat with Meg, Rob Duggan and his sister, Sara, Meg's roommate on the Chorale trip, and Kaz wasn't far away at the other table. It was such a great dinner, really the most fun I had in Rome - I wish I could be back there right now; it was relaxing, enjoyable, great food, but most importantly, great company. I'm thanking you Chorallers right now for making my trip to Rome. It was seriously the most fun I think I've had in Italy, and if not, it was the brightest point in my trip to Rome. We sat there for well over 2 hours, chatting, eating, laughing.

Before I headed back to my hostel, I had to witness the Chorale tradition of singing Tollite Hostias at midnight. Some of the Choralers were a little rowdy after a trip out to the bar, and some Romans on the street must have been thinking, "What are these Americans doing?" But they stood in awe as these singers joined together, creating incredible music with their voices. I'm sure they couldn't believe it - I mean, I couldn't, and I was expecting it. The Romans applauded vigorously when the music ended.

The next morning, after an expresso on Via della Conciliazione (which is a long road stretching into the Vatican) I met the chorale at 11. They invited me to meet them - and here's why - the Pope was going to give a special benediction to everyone in Piazza San Pietro! And I had no idea about this, so I am so grateful that I got asked along. We stood in the square as a banner was unfurled from one of the topmost windows of the Papal apartments, and then Benedict XVI emerged, barely larger than a white speck, but still, the Pope. He spoke in 7 languages, explaining the gospel reading from Mark and discussing economic issues in Italy. Then, he prayed the Angelus. Apparently, everything I was wearing and holding at that moment was blessed. So I have an iPod blessed by the Pope now.

After an extravagant lunch a block over from the Vatican with Meg, Kaz and Steph, I went back the Termini Station to catch a bus back to the airport. My trip to Rome was unforgettable! I can't wait to see other cities, especially ones I've never visited before. Also, I know I wrote way too much this time, but if you've honestly reached this part of this blog entry, let me know when I get back to the states, and I can thank you with the gift of a pen blessed by the Pope.

A dopo!
Andrew