An Evening in Roma... Part 1

      It is a known fact that my host family is incredibly kind and generous to me.  Read any of my blog entries and the effusive praise is only a slight indicator of how amazing they really are.  They welcome me in their home, endure my massacre of their native tongue, try to understand my stuttering comments, correct me, feed me delicious family recipes, and invite me with them on family vacations.

   The Belgian school year has more holidays than what I am used to, and I will not complain when it presents opportunities to travel with my host family.

   We went to Rome, Italy!

      We left from Brussels International for a 7:30 AM flight to Rome in order to arrive about 9:30 AM.  This was very optimistic after the evening at themed dinner Friday night about a Belgian singer.  It is possible, I can testify, to sleep through anything on a plane.

This is what I call the 'Imagining Exchange Life' photo.  It is more or less the perfect image of what I think we typically look like on trips.  Packing a life for the next year teaches one how to downsize.   I've got five days of essentials in the blue Rotary bag!  Note the jacket, glasses, water bottle, practical tiny purse that conveniently holds a dictionary, notebook, assorted maps, tickets, train passes, writing utensils, aged American mints, a camera, and probably the TARDIS somewhere in its depths.

  In Rome, I took the metro for the first time to downtown, where we made out way to the hotel.  It was disorienting going through a large demonstration of protesters dressed in red, but it seemed civil and we passed through the crowd without any problems.  My fellow exchange student from 7750 and great friend, Morgen, is completing her exchange in Italy this year.  She warned me protests are very frequent in Rome over Skype.  This was normal for the city.  Apparently the spirit of expression of discontent from the citizens is still alive and well in Rome today!

We ate at a tiny Italian restaurant we found off one of the main streets after exploring for a bit that night.  Near the center of the shopping region, a street or two over from the tourist shops, this was one of two restaurants that had a French menu for my host family.  Unsurprisingly, all spoke Italian, and catered to visitors with menus also available in English.

This is the first of many pasta dishes in Italy.

   Rome is absolutely filled with breathtaking cathedrals and magnificent churches.  We examined and contemplated marvelous, centuries-old buildings and works of art.

From the smooth floors, the ornate banisters, marvelous paintings, detailed sculptures, to gilded ceilings, the churches were grand!  

   Prepare for many photos!  

Here I will put a confession:  I forgot to mark the path of our journey.  Next time, I need to take a picture of the entrance or one of the informational signs in order to mark which church holds the object of my photographs.

The grand fountain was, sadly covered due to renovations, but people could walk past it over the where the water usually is and take pictures!

   It was interesting having so many different statues everywhere.  

I don't think it's possible to appreciate how difficult it is to find a statue fully clothed in Rome for a photo.  They can have halos, togas, robes, crowns, tridents and even battle serpent creatures, but only if they are at least partially in the nude.

This one seemed sassy to me.  He's on a street corner overlooking a busy intersection, just holding his sword but not particularly inspired to do anything with it.  He's even got attitude-pose, with his legs slightly bent and hips and an angle.  How did he end up on the side of a building? 'This is my city! If they think they can give that building a face lift, I'll tell you, I was here during the last face off! It was a ruin then! Even Nero thought it would be a superfluous expense of wealth to renovate!  Does anyone listen to me?'  The answer is no, because you are a statue, and I spending too long waiting at a stoplight breeds fictitious conversation.

The first day, we viewed the three fountains in a plaza before searching for the restaurant.

 Between my host father and I, we probably have twenty photos of this plaza.  However, to post on the blog, it's come down to three photos taken at the right angle to hide... certain aspects...

One of the delights of travelling is to discover all the nuances that hadn't been reported about the location.  In my attempt to leave my mark on the reputation of Roma, I will report an obvious secret that has been overlooked for too long....

Birds are everywhere!  From the streets, to the alcoves, and especially on the statues, pigeons claim the city as their own also.  Perhaps they are searching for historically valuable roosts the same way we many prize property values.  Perhaps the stone is a different temperature than the trees.  Maybe I spent a little too long waiting in lines to ponder the residential priorities of birds and wondering if they follow the same pattern every year when migrating.  

On closer inspection of the photos, I'm annoyed at my skills of deduction for not supplying my imagination with all the birds when picturing Rome.  The statues looked remarkably clean, considering the number of winged-beasts through out the Eternal City.
IF YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH NUMBERS AND THINGS BEING ODD (Dad) DO NOT LOOK AT THE PHOTO BELOW.  MOST CERTAINLY, DO NOT COUNT THE COLUMNS.

 It was wonderful being able to wander from sight to sight and walk in ornately decorated churches!

 I was able to see the Pantheon!  The crowd inside and around it was typical of most churches.

     From the time I was a child, my favorite part of any trip was to wander and discover an attraction not on the map.  The first day, I spotted an exhibit for Leonardo Da Vinci.  He has always been a historical figure who fascinated me, so I asked my host parents if we could view the exhibit of some of his various inventions brought to life.  Lise said it was her favorite part of the trip!  I think a crucial part of the soul of an exchange student is the desire to wander and find new things.

  The first day concluded with a lovely Italian meal before preparing for the second day in the Eternal City!