When in Rome...

Last week was midterm week, and after two midterms and three essays, I had Wednesday through Sunday off from classes. Since this was a good opportunity to travel around Europe, a couple of friends and I decided on Rome. We found cheap flights and a good hostel and spent four and a half days exploring Rome. The first picture is of our hostel in Rome (Kaitlin is on the left, Kristen on the right). The hostel was on the outskirts of the city, but it felt like a campground. We had a cabin, which had three beds, a bathroom with a shower, and a locking door (which meant we could leave our backpacks in the room during the day).



By taking a bus a couple of miles to the nearest metro station and riding the metro several stops, we were able to reach the downtown city. From there, we were able to walk to all the sights, including the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum (where we cheered on the imaginary, ancient Roman gladiators), ruins of the Roman Forums, Vatican (including the Sistine Chapel), Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon.

The Trevi Fountain. Legend says that if you throw a coin in, you insure your return to Rome.



The Colosseum.





The Colosseum and the ruins of the Roman Forums.




The Spanish Steps.



Piazza del Popolo.



The Vatican.






Bernini's Angels on the bridge.



Castel Sant'Angelo (Castle of the Angel).



The Pantheon.



The trip was great. In addition to all the historical sights, we also enjoyed the local cuisine--lots of pizza, pasta, and gelato. I don't have any complaints about the food in London, but Italian food was, by far, the best food that we've eaten this semester.