Day #13 in Orvieto (Roma trip)

March 7, 2013 – Thursday

This morning we woke up at 5:15am to get ready and leave the villa. We caught a bus at the other end of Orvieto at 6:30 and then took the train at 7 to Roma Termina. This “bus” that we took to the train station was about the size of our family mini van, so it was pretty cramped (as was every bus we took and street we walked on in  Rome – packed). The train was pretty cool even though I fell asleep and then I was super tired when we finally arrived in Rome. In the train station, Prof. Doll gave us a brief introduction to the train system and gave us some info in case we ever came back and needed to buy tickets, etc. Our first destination was the Museo Nazionale which was a short walk from the station. Thankfully it wasn’t long because we had our suitcases/backpacks with us with all our weekend belongings. I tried to pack light but of course it never works. My school backpack was bursting at the seams, I was wearing 2 ½ jackets and then I had a side purse. The Museo Nazionale was interesting and it mostly had statues/figures, mosaics, and pieces of frescos (frescoes?). It was primarily statues though, from what I saw. We saw a garden fresco which covered the entire room. Apparently this garden piece was in an underground dining room, made for the wife of Augustus (or that’s what I scribbled down in my notes).

The garden painting that used to be in a dining room

A picture of a discus statue for Dad!

One of the mosaics

After the first museum, we then began a long long long long pilgrimage to St. Peters, stopping at the apartments and different famous sites along the way. We stayed in four apartments – two 4-person apartments, one 8-person, and one 7-person apartment. They were so cool! Very modern and trendy-ish. We had some weird paintings in our apartment (I was in the 8 person one). It wasn’t actually supposed to be an 8 person apartment but something went wrong and suddenly Laura didn’t have a bed. So we fit her into our room the first night but then she fell through the beds (we tried pushing two twins together and sleeping three people) so then we thought it was best if someone just slept on the couch. The apartments were at the perfect location – 30 seconds from a fruit market, 30 seconds from the gelato place, and then about two or 3 minutes from the Pantheon. Anyways, we continued our walk with St. Peter’s as the destination, and we stopped for lunch at the market before climbing up a huge hill to get to Il Tempietto di Bramante. This was a temple that Ferdinand and Isabella commissioned Bramante to construct, right at the place where Peter was crucified. Prof. Doll didn’t tell us this part until after we finished exploring the temple (he always does this – leaves out the most important part until the end and then everyone’s like whaaaaat!).

A dark picture of Laura and me... chillin.

The best white pizza ever. The little tomatoes were SO SWEET.

The temple that was built where Peter was crucified

A view of Rome on on of our walks

After another long period of walking, we finally arrived at St. Peter’s and it was like all of the tourists came out of hiding and were milling around in front of St. Peter’s. We had to go through security before we entered the Basillica, and I can’t even describe what it was like! Even my pictures don’t convey how large and majestic it is inside. Here are a few pictures, but just know that it looks even more extravagant in real life!

St. Peter's and tourists galore (this wasn't as bad as when we went for mass on Sunday - that was crazy)

Where Peter is buried in St. Peter's 

Michelangelo's "Pieta" - Mary and Jesus

A view of a small part of the ceiling

After spending a few hours in St. Peter’s, we then walked to a different church, Santa Maria, in Trastevere. In every church that we went to, there was usually mass going on so we quickly looked around and took a few pictures while Prof. Doll pointed out some significant artwork and arcitecture. After Santa Maria we went to a pizza place where we each got our own pizza. I got veggie pizza and it was soooooo good. Once again, I finished my pizza early because it’s so hard to eat slowly…….. I don’t think I can do it.

Santa Maria at night

We then went to Giolitti, the gelato place near our apartments. It’s been in the same family for over a century, and the put homemade whipped cream on top of the gelato. I got dark chocolate and coconut (ciocollato fondente and cocco) and I promise it’s THE BEST COMBINATION. Like almond joy or something. Although Prof. Doll told me that I should say the almond joy part because gelato and candy bars are not on the same level.

Eating my dark chocolate and coconut heaven