Easter

The attacks in Brussels transpired on this Tuesday, and it was difficult to fully comprehend what this means for Europe. Obviously, a great tragedy has occurred, endangering the people of a city I love and even a few of my friends visiting during their study abroad trips (they made it back to Scotland yesterday). However, I’m still not sure of the implications this will have moving forward.

Regardless, we went to the warm and sunny city of Rome. And when in Rome, you see all of the classic Roman icons. The Colosseum and the Forum were remarkably massive and unsurprisingly ancient. The Trevi Fountain was bright and beautiful at night. We didn’t really get to see the Vatican, because it was extremely crowded for Easter. I was a bit disappointed, because I really like Pope Francis, but it opened up more time for Italian food and gelato. We had so much pizza that it was borderline obnoxious. You can never have too much gelato, however, especially when it’s lemon or mango. I need some, now.

I know my Rome experience would be dampened without the presence of our cool tour guide, who took us around the Forum one day and on a “Hidden Secrets of Rome” tour that night. Although he later turned out to be kind of a lady-killer, he seemed very passionate about the influences the Romans left on the world. Central heating and plumbing, language and the calendar, architecture, and  We saw so many random small things that probably don’t matter, but that’s what I love in cities. We even got to see a hidden door underground were Julius Caesar’s body was carried after his murder. The best part, obviously involving food, was the final stop – a family-owned true Italian restaurant with 4-5 courses and a chef/grandmother who yelled lovingly in Italian at her regular and new customers.  It was easily one of my favorite meals so far.

The trip ended with a relaxing Sunday, something that I’ve needed. We got to read books, play Frisbee, and explore a bit under the sun in the central park of Rome. It was a beautiful day, definitely one to be thankful for. Our schedule as crowded as one might think a Rome trip would be, but I wouldn’t change anything (but more gelato).