Caitlin Rogness April 10, 2004
Fortsa Roma!
It all started at 6am on Friday, March 5, 2004. We, Brooke and I, drove to the airport in the midst of a blizzard. Amazingly enough we got there on time. After checking bags and getting through security, it was time for our adventure to begin; only it didn’t. Because of both the ongoing snowfall and the high winds in Chicago, we were forced to wait an extra hour before they would allow us to be on our way. I had flown into Chicago before, but never O’Hare. It was huge compared to Midway. Since it’s called the “Windy City,” I was not surprised to feel the wind while we flew in. However, I was surprised at the landing. I thought we would crash for sure and I’m not usually uptight about stuff like that. After a few hours in the airport and some eight-dollar pizza, it was time for my first international flight. How exciting!
I was seated next to a British couple for the flight to Amsterdam. The lady asked me if I was going on holiday and to excuse her to go to the loo. I had never actually heard anyone speak to me with a British accent before; it was very out of the ordinary for me. The accent was the only lasting effect the flight had on me. It was long and took forever. Every time I looked at the time, I expected hours to have passed. In reality it was only twenty minutes. We landed in Amsterdam an hour early and took nearly the whole layover to get our boarding passes taken care of. After all that was done, we were on our final leg of the trip to Rome. When we arrived in Rome, two things struck me, the trees and the cars. I didn’t really even feel like I was in another country. Even though people kept saying it, it didn’t hit me that we were actually in Rome.
That first day was uneventful. So much so that Brooke and I fell asleep. Once we got up and moving, I think it began to sink in. It was incredible to be on my own and in a huge city. I felt as though I was in control for once. It was awesome. We ended up wandering on Via Cavour, all the way to Termini Station. I was lost on the way back, good thing Brooke wasn’t.
On Sunday was the group tour of the Coliseum and the Forum and our introduction to Sandro. It was pouring practically the whole time we were out, no fun! I took a ton of pictures because I was interested in the things we were seeing. Too bad that I don’t remember what anything is now. The only picture I recognize is the one of the Senate. When I saw it in person, I thought of a movie I had seen in junior high. The façade was exactly the same as in the movie. It was remarkable. I truly felt as though I should be walking around with a Thesaurus all week because I only know how to say amazing so many different ways.
Sandro, our guide, was quite a piece of work. His favorite word was conquer. “We must conquer this position.” I wonder what he thought the word meant at first. Once he knew we thought it was funny, he kept saying it, “We must conquer the line.” It’s too bad we had to part with him the next day. It stopped raining long enough for us to walk from the Forum past City Hall (The white wedding cake), through the Piazza Venzia and down to the Trevi Fountain. We met Sandro after lunch and it had been raining the entire time. Of the three coins, I only threw two into the fountain because seriously, who wants to get divorced? At least I’ll get to return to Rome someday. After meeting at the fountain, we had to quickly conquer the bus because it picked us up in a no parking/ no stopping zone. But, we made it.
Eventually, we were on our way to the Catacomb di Domitilla. We weren’t supposed to take pictures, but we snuck some in anyway. Damn us Americans! The tombs inside were kind of freaky to be in. knowing that someone had passed into eternity in the very same place I was standing gave me something to think about and the shivers. It was almost like being in there with them. There were four levels of tombs and you could get really, really lost if you weren’t careful.
That night we went to see the Coliseum and the Forum lit up. It was very pretty and surreal. Its remarkable how you can walk down a relatively modern street, turn the corner and be faced with Ancient Roman ruins. It’s like the Italians don’t realize what that have sitting in front of them, they just build right around the ruins. I’m sure that I wouldn’t appreciate the history or architecture either, had I grown up with it.
Monday morning was an early one to visit the Vatican. We stood in line for a while and received mimosa flowers from Sandro. That day, March 8th, was national women’s day, Fiesta del Donna. There are no words to describe all the things I saw inside of the museums. I was struck by the power that the Sistine Chapel had over me. I’m not normally a super-religious person but for those hours inside the Vatican walls, I knew I had something to believe in. it would be impossible to explain or create beauty to that extent without the existence of a higher presence. just being inside of St. Peter’s made me appreciate Christianity a little more. It was said that the Sistine Chapel is the Pope’s private chapel. I wonder if he goes in there late at night when he can’t sleep to contemplate the paintings?
After an incredible morning, we began to find our way back to the hotel. I bargained with a street vendor and ended up with a pair of Gucci sunglasses. That was fun. We had no idea where we were trying to get that afternoon and ended up at the Piazza Navona by mistake. What an unbelievable mistake! It was a beautiful square with fountains, tourists and street vendors. It was a good view of Rome. I wish there were more places like that in Minnesota. Eventually, we found our way to the Pantheon. I couldn’t believe that after studying it in high school, I was finally seeing it in person. We made our way to the Plaza de Popolo after that and watched the people for a while. To get home that night, I took my first subway ride on the Metro. I don’t know why I thought it would be so scary, probably because of all the warnings of pickpockets. It’s amazing how laid-back people are in Rome; I could have gotten a few wallets myself.
The next day, after walking past it all week, we finally entered Santa Maria Maggiore. It was beautiful, both inside and out. I am glad I was with people who appreciated the beauty as much as I did. We even saw the bird-lady from Mary Poppins. Well, at least she looked that way surrounded by pigeons. After that, we took our own tour of Rome while trying to find the Spanish Steps. Once we found them and walked past all the designer stores, I felt like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. I wish I were a princess like she was. That whole day was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Being free in Rome was something I never thought I would do. By the time we left, Roman streets were beginning to look familiar and I knew my way around pretty well. But, I was ready to leave the city and Wednesday, we did.
We took the train to Naples, another first for me. I wasn’t excited by Naples to begin with, especially during the incredibly boring tour of the archeological museum. I just wasn’t interested in the collection nor was I too fond of the tour guide. Once we left, the day brightened. We sat in the front seat of the bus for the tour of Naples. It turned out to be an exhilarating ride both because of the beauty of the landscape and the scariness of the drive. The driver was incredible on the narrow windy roads. I don’t think I could have driven that fast. After arriving in Sorrento, I had a different outlook on southern Italy than I had when I arrived in Naples.
The shopping in Sorrento was the best part, except for the view of course. Pompeii was again a rainy and crappy day. The highlight being the trip to the brothel, I can now say I’ve been in one. Going up Mt. Vesuvius was scary and wonderful at the same time. I can’t believe we didn’t tip over and fall right down the mountain. It’s too bad that we didn’t get to go all the way up. I wish it hadn’t snowed. The next night, we had our final group dinner before going our separate ways to Hong Kong, Sicily or MN. Being in Sorrento was a lot more laid back than Rome. I felt we could just walk around and relax on the sidewalk. I have to say that, even though parts of it were boring, I enjoyed Sorrento more than Rome.
Being part of the group was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned a lot about Italy, traveling, my fellow group members and myself. I’m glad I spent the money and took the opportunity to participate. I only hope that I continue to do so in future endeavors. Thanks for the chance!