Roughly halfway through the semester, I got a little slice of home this weekend when my parents and older brother came to visit! Meeting them in Rome and spending the weekend in this historic and beautiful city in the center of Italy, I had an awesome time both exploring the metaphorical heart of Italy and introducing my family to Italian culture.

Friday

Arriving early Friday morning (7:00 A.M. departure time!) in Rome, I met my family at the airport and then proceeded to take a shuttle to our hotel. I have to say I enjoyed staying in an actual hotel with my own bed rather than sleeping on a cot in a hostel or sharing a bed in an apartment. On our first day in Rome, we headed to the Vatican. First, we went to St. Peter’s Square to view this iconic piazza where the Pope delivers his addresses and gives his blessings, as well as where thousands of Catholics wait during Conclave for the election of a new Pope. Since we booked a tour online we headed over to the museum and we were able to skip the enormous line that stretched around the block and took over 2 hours. Our tour lasted 3.5 hours and included the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Fortunately, our tour guide spoke incredibly clean English despite being a native Italian. The sheer beauty and magnificence of the entire Vatican Museum was striking as it contained priceless pieces of artwork from renowned artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bernini, as well as innumerable architectural wonders. The Sistine Chapel was even more impressive as it is impossible to walk into this room and not be amazed at both the intricacy of the works and the vibrant colors used by Michelangelo. Lastly, even though I have seen some impressive churches during my stay in Europe, St. Peter’s Basilica more than lived up to its billing due to its size and beauty.

After leaving the Vatican, we walked to the Castel Sant’Angelo, the castle made famous by Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons as the location of the secret passageway into the Vatican. We then went back to our hotel, ate dinner at a local restaurant, and went to the Trevi Fountain. Out of all of the sights that I saw in Rome, this historic monument was one of my favorites. Unfortunately, however, I forgot my camera at the hotel, so I have no pictures.

Saturday

Our Saturday was dedicated to the ancient part of the city. We started by visiting the famed Coliseum and this sight was absolutely amazing. When first entering this historic arena, it is almost inconceivable to think that this structure was constructed entirely by hand about 2,000 years ago. Even with the most advanced modern technology and most skilled labor, this structure would take tens of years and billions of dollars to construct today. Standing in this site, the feelings of its historical importance in the culture of Ancient Rome are unbelievable as you truly can imagine the famous battles and fights occurring right before your eyes. Next, we walked to the Roman Forum, which is conveniently located only about 200 yards away. This was another impressive sight and the fact that these structures are left standing today is amazing by itself. Then, we walked over to Palentine Hill and the Circus Maximus to continue our exploration of the Roman ruins. We decided to end our day by venturing to the “Spanish Steps,” a unique area located in the northern portion of Rome that is made of an interesting mixture of local and designer shops. However, while eating a late lunch there, we discovered that my Mom had her wallet stolen! So, we proceeded to hurriedly attempt to call each credit card provider and immediately cancel both her credit and debit cards. But, her phone had no service and my cheap Italian phone wouldn’t allow me to connect with the 1-800 numbers. So, after trying use the phones at a few local hotels, we ended up back in our hotel room with the credit card companies for a good portion of the night. In the end, it was simply a minor inconvenience as no charges were made to any of her cards and she still had her passport and cell phone. 

Sunday

During my last day in Rome, we decided to head to the Pantheon and then back to the “Spanish Steps” to do some shopping. Arriving at the Pantheon at 10:00 A.M., we were surprised to find out that mass was being held and that we would need to wait until noon to come inside. So, we walked around for a bit and watched some of the Rome Marathon that was occurring that day, before going back into this iconic church (which ironically was originally a pagan temple). The Pantheon is an awesome architectural wonder and more than lived up to my expectations as it was truly amazing. The gigantic dome ceiling with its signature oculus was breathtaking. After leaving the Pantheon, we went back to the “Spanish Steps” and then I took a train to the airport.

My parents are staying in Rome through Monday, spending Tuesday and Wednesday in Venice, then coming to see me in Milan on Thursday and Friday before we go to Switzerland next weekend. It was great seeing them this weekend and I’m really excited that they got to experience Italy and Europe for the first time. I can’t wait for Switzerland in 3 days!

Location: Rome, Italy