Saturday, March 5th (Last Weekend in ROME!!!)

This morning started out slowly enough, feeling the full effects of an overwhelming and sleep deprived week of constantly stressing about our research papers, final presentations, past due blog assignments and attempting to salvage a few hours of personal time for ourselves - my roommates and I took advantage of our limited amount of ''free time'' this morning and slept in until almost noon today in our shared Trastevere apartment (located just over the Ponte Sisto bridge & Tiber River).

 The previous night, me and my roommates had discussed the best way to utilize our free time today with it being our last weekend in Rome. Many of us have had little to no time in order to conduct any research and structure the format of our final presentations/ research papers that are due within the next few days. Waking up this morning, I had had every intention of walking my butt over to the UWRC (UW Rome Center) located 10 minutes away near Campo di' Fiori. However, as soon as I walked into Natalie & Sarah's bedroom and caught a glimpse of the bright blue skies & sun streaming down into our neighborhood piazza - all my original plans of locking myself up into our school's computer lab all day long had flown right out the window... I mean, it's our last weekend in Rome for Christ's Sake!! And it's a beautiful day! The first one Rome has seen in the last 2 weeks of weather eerily similar to Seattle´s :/ We've been recently subjected to a constant down pour of face smacking rain, lightning & thunder storms, and blisteringly cold temperatures. I could only come to the realization that today's beautiful weather was a sign from God saying, ''Get your a$$ moving & take advantage of my gift to all of you who will be leaving the 'eternal city' in a couple of days''. Point taken, Sarah & I quickly made ready and went straight to the Colosseum =]

We had previously visited Rome's historical district on several occasions but had never received the opportunity to actually go into the Colosseum. To me, coming all the way to Rome & not stepping foot inside the Colosseumis comparable to committing a cardinal sin! The fact that I had already been living in Rome for the past 9 weeks and hadn't managed to do this is equally blasphemous! Today was the freaking day that I was finally going to be able to do it!! And it turned out to be one of the most memorable moments that i've had in Rome :))))

The Colosseum (originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre) is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of Rome, and is the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It was constructed alongside the Foro Romano (Roman Forum), and was started in 72 AD under the emperor Vespesian. It was completed in 80 AD under his predecessor and son, the emperior Titus. The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" stems from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).The Colosseum was designed to hold up to 50,000 spectators and was used for gladiator combats, public executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and mythological dramas. Today, It stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers. Nevertheless, the Colosseum remains an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome, and is still one of Rome's most popular tourist destinations.

In preparation for our inevitable tour of the Colosseum, Sarah & I hosted a viewing of 'Gladiator' earlier in the week which depicts the Colosseum in all of it's glory, and shows it's original purpose of hosting deathly gladiator fights! Therefore, you can imagine how excited we were to finally capitalize on this momentous occasion! Sarah & I arrived in perfect timing with the last English speaking tour getting ready to the enter the Colosseum. The tour lasted about an hour, and afterwards we were able to climb to the top and take amazing pictures of the interior along with the neighboring landscape. We had an amazing time =]

After we finished, we decided to grab a quick bite before hopping a bus to Castel Sant' Angelo! Again, both Sarah & I had been talking about touring the castle and museum for weeks... But due to time constraints and a hectic schedule we were forced to try and cram all the things we hadn't done yet, and still desperately wanted to do, all within a few days :( So, we grabbed a couple slices of pizza, threw down a few espresso shots, and arrived outside the castle about an hour later.

Castel Sant' Angelo, orginally known as the 'Mausoleum of Hadrian', was built  just off the right bank of the Tiber River between 135 AD and 139 AD. It is a towering cylindrical building located close-by Vatican City, and near the heart of Rome. It was initially commissioned by the Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. In later times, the building was used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. Today, it is a widely popular tourist attraction thanks to authors like Dan Brown who used the remarkable monument as a historic reference and a plot setting in his book 'Angels and Demons'. For me, anyways, that book was a source of inspiration to make a visit to the castel! In addition to it coming highly recommended by some of the locals and friends :)

As Sarah and I entered the grounds, and made our way up to the top of the castle were we had heard of the spectacular panoramic views of the city, we couldn't help giggling and joking as we steadily climbed the narrow and winding passage way which made us feel like we were in some kind of horror movie! It was incredibly spooky but extremely fun - similar to going through a haunted house! However, once we made it to the top, nothing could prepare us for the scenery we beheld as we walked to the edge of the viewing terrace! We had arrived just in time for the sunset, and the sky was coated in blue, pink, orange, and violet. The street lights aligning the bridge and the pathway to the Vatican were now illuminating, and the result was incredible imagery. It was truly an awe-inspiring moment - the kind that makes you question reality... Am I really here? On the top of this amazing castle? Looking out on the most beautiful city I have ever beheld? It's these kinds of moments that truly make life worth living =] 

Once we were able to pull ourselves away from the top, we made a quick trip through the galleries and then decided to run around the grounds in exploration for hidden passageways, tunnels, dungeouns, or whatever we'd be lucky enough to find. However, other than coming across a few locked caste-iron gates, we came up empty handed...but I wasn't entirely disappointed!

After finally finishing our tour, we headed back to the UWRC to meet up with the rest of our program for a group dinner/potluck! Many people contributed with delicious dishes such as homemade pasta & lasagna, roasted garlic cloves & grilled veggies, mixed salad greens, and, of course, traditional Italian wine!! We all sat, ate, drank & laughed together for a few hours before we collectively decided it was time to cut loose and hit the town!!!

In celebration of spending one of our last few nights left together in Rome, we spent the remainder of Saturday evening (and some of the early morning) dancing, drinking & partying the night away!!! Lastly, although we might have originally been brought together as a group of college students sharing a common interest in Rome, we grew closer together, first as friends - but ultimately as our own little Roman family! We have impacted eachother's lives in so many amazing and special ways, and, for me personally, I've come to love each and every person of our program for their own unique qualities and infectious spirit!! Ciao luvs!! See you all in Seattle!! <3 <3 <3