Call it jet lag or maybe too much fun, but my roommates and I didn't leave our apartment until 2:15pm today and shortly before that we still hadn't left our beds. Too bad because it was so much warmer outside (the heat has yet to come on in the apartment).
Courtney, Teryn and I (my roommates who also go to UMD)set out to make our way into the heart of Rome. This involved a 15 minute walk to what we think was Viale di Trastevere. Either way, we got on tram #8 to Argentina. Once again, we went to Rosciolo for lunch. After we went to Campo di Fiori but had missed the open-air market. We walked to Piazza Navona where dozens of artists were there, painting caricatures and selling their prints.
After strolling through the Piazza we met Ilana and Sarah (two of my friends from UMD) and their roommates at the Pantheon. The Pantheon was a crucial part of ancient Rome. Marcus Agrippa commissioned the building's construction as a temple for all gods. The building is full of religious art, marble columns, and many tourists. It's home to the tomb of Raphael and a few others. Today, it is still the world's largest self-supporting dome.
After walking around the Pantheon we went to the Trevi Fountain. We were a little lost and asked a police man for directions. From my limited experience in Rome this semester, I found that if you speak with even the phoniest Italian accent it helps the Italians understand you. He pointed us in the direction of Via Del Corso. We quickly heard the sound of the running fountain water and soon saw the hoards of tourists there. When visiting the Trevi Fountain, it's imperative that you throw a coin over your right shoulder and into the fountain to assure that you will return to Rome one day. I did this three years ago and I'm back!! Just as we were leaving we witnessed an American man propose to his girlfriend, and caught a glimpse of the ring. Proposing at the Trevi? My kind of guy.
We continued on our walking tour and found ourselves in front of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, more commonly known as "the wedding cake". I tried to navigate us back to Largo Argentina but failed miserably. I wanted to pull a Joey-from-Friends and be "in the map" but thought that would scream 'American'. Once we realized we had walked a half mile in the wrong direction we waited for a bus...for 40 minutes.
Once we got home we were too tired to venture out again.
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona
Pantheon
Fontana di Trevi
Sarah, Ilana & I making a wish at the Trevi Fountain
Ciao!
Awesome! Love the blog. From the wedding cake to Argentina it's very simple. If you are facing the wedding cake turn right. You will walk by Scholars on your right and then come to the end of that road. You can see the Largo Argentina ruins from that intersection, and on the other side of that is the tram. I'm guessing you probably went left towards the Roman Forum and Colosseum which is the opposite way. Or towards Nazionale and Termini which is even further. I might have to navigate YOU around in April! :) Just kiddinggg
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