Adventures in Rome

 January 10-12,2010

Rome has been a whirlwind of clubs, delicious food, and beautiful architecture and history. 

On our first night there, we encountered many Italian men who wanted to take us to different clubs... so what do my friend Kait and I do? We jump right into these 3 boy’s car, ready to go to the club they want to show us. Don’t worry, Kait had some mace because we weren’t planning on ending up on the front page of an American Newspaper. They took us to Rome’s underground club district, not something we would have ever dared venture to on our own. Broken glass lined the fences, as we passed by club after club along the ally way. The club we made it to was underground, filled with smoke, people decked out in crazy outfits, strobe lights, and cages. Kait and I danced for hours and hours with the 3 italian boys, all the while trying to explain to them that we wanted nothing more than some dance time because they were all hoping to get lucky. After much debating (the three guys still thought they were going to get lucky) about who would drive us back to the hotel, Kait and I finally got in at 4AM. It was intense and amazing: my first true European club experience.

The next day was also amazing, but in a different way. Rome is something more beautiful than I could have predicted. Every corner turned, every street traversed down, is filled with such a history that can never be replicated. The centuries old buildings and statues are woven throughout the more modern (but still very antique-styled) buildings. We visited many important monuments, and wandered around the city, getting lost in all it’s wonder. We ate at cute places, amused at the snickers we got from the Italians when we shared food. 

Though still tired from the night before and the walking all day in Rome, that night we went to the pub crawl on the Spanish Steps. It was worth every cent of the 20Euro fee. They took us to four different pubs/clubs, the first had unlimited beers and pizza, and the next ones provided a free shot at each. We didn’t need to purchase anything else to have our good time. 

Being very tired the next day, we went to the colosseum and the forum and then the Vatican. All were amazing, but the Vatican was absolutely stunning. The amount of history and artwork entwined within the walls of this country was breathtaking. I saw works by Raphael, especially marveling at the School of Athens painting. The Sistine Chapel was gorgeous, and the Basilica was unlike any church in existence. The altar was made of gold, and every wall was filled with statues and intricate designs and paintings. I was utterly floored at the beauty, and Saint Peter’s Square was no exception.

That night, my friends and I found a little restaurant to try, where the ‘mixed green salad’ I ordered was really a pile of warm spinach. Kait got a squid pasta, where all parts of the squid were present, even the tentacles. But, despite the disparities, it was delicious. I even tried the squid.

Oh, and one thing I learned today: Alfredo doesn’t exist in Italy.