Coming at you from Rome, Italy on September 10, 2019.
Bloggers: Margaret and Ben
Steps walked: 16,200 steps
We started the day with breakfast in the Jewish Ghetto. With fun pastries priced at a singular euro, we were on the move with a portable and delicious Italian breakfast. We walked to the bus stop at the base of the Capitoline hill, walking past the Largo Argentina and the Theater of Marcellus. We rode the tour bus for two and a half hours in an attempt to orient ourselves in the city. In a crowded tourist bus, we slowly clawed our way from the back of the bus to the front, so we could have the best views.
Popular sights we saw include, but are not limited to:
- Colosseum
- Tiber River
- Circus Maximus
- Roman Forum
- Mausoleum of Hadrian
- 3 of 8 obelisks (expect to see selfies of all eight by the end of the week)
- Campo di Fiori
Another memorable sight was teaching Professor Stewart how to take a selfie (evidence below):
It seems like we’re all learning valuable life skills already.
Then we finished our day off with the first of many trips to the Dartmouth Rome Center, a picnic-style lunch, and the Welcome to Rome Museum. The lunch was particularly tasty: we snacked on Sicilian grape tomatoes, an assortment of sheep, goat, and cow cheeses, bread and pizzas, figs and 4 different varieties of peaches.
The Welcome to Rome Museum gave us the opportunity to visualize ancient sites using advanced projection and 3D rendering technology. This way we are able to imagine what life was like in the age of the Roman Empire with a clear image of the physical properties of iconic structures. We topped it off with a 30-minute movie on the topography and geographical history of Rome.
Throughout the day we also practiced a valuable life (and Stewart-specific!) skill: the art of jay-walking. Try imagining a Mother Duck hurriedly making her way across busy Italian streets while occasionally looking back to ensure her ducklings are still present since the previous intersection. We all are learning this valuable life skill, and have concluded that New Yorkers having nothing on Dr. Stewart.
After a trip to the SIM card and stationery stores, we returned to the Rome Center for our daily Survival Italian class. Taught by the fabulous Luigi, we’re learning Italian at a rapid rate so we can better understand and exist in Italy. Rapido! Bene!!
After Italian class, we tried to reimburse those who fronted the cost for our fantastic lunch. It was an endeavor that proved ONLY one of us is a Mathematics major.
Grazie e ciao!