A Fun Filled Week in Rome... Easter Mass, the Italian Countryside (Ancient Roman Villa), and Rome in a Day

Alright, I think that I am having the same problems as before... I just wait too long to write and then everything piles up and I postpone it even more because it will just take too long. Well I had a good day and I feel like being productive so here is the last 2 weeks.

Easter at the Vatican! What an experience. First of all, it could not have been a more wonderful and beautiful day. I have recently heard that this past March was the wettest March in over 200 years. Now you know that I wasn't just complaining about weather because I am spoiled and used to southern California weather... it was actually kind of miserable. But not that day, Easter was perfect! A new pope in town and thousands of people who came out to see him. I was so fortunate to get tickets to the service so that I wouldn't have to stand the whole time and I would get to be up close... Well that didn't really work out. By the time I got to St. Peters Square, there were so many people, I couldn't actually get to the seating so I wound up standing for the service. It was still wonderful. The service consisted of Latin hymns and then people would speak every once in a while. It was in Italian and Spanish (the two languages that I have studied) so I could understand some of it, but some of it was gibberish. The songs were my favorite part. They were performed by a full choir and were just beautiful. There was even one part where different delegates said things in different languages. I heard Italian, Spanish, English, French, German, Dutch, Chinese, and some I didn't recognize. There were a few funny moments. I don't know about you, but when I was growing up, going to church was not something you did in jeans and a t-shirt. My mom used to have this rule that you weren't allowed to wear jeans to church. Therefore, for Easter service, I put on the only dress that I brought with me and some tights, a sweater and some flats to look as nice as possible. Apparently, that is not how everyone thinks of church. I saw people wearing spaghetti straps and jeans and even a few wearing sweatpants and sneakers. I think my favorite part were the dogs... I mean who brings a dog to Easter service, I'll tell you who... Italians. There was one dog near where I was standing that would not stop barking the entire service. The choir would be singing a beautiful song and all of a sudden, the dog would start barking. Also, there were children everywhere! I love seeing children at events like these but not so much when they are screaming at the top of their lungs for attention and their parents are ignoring them. That wasn't my favorite but I do have to admit, it added to the ambiance. All in all, it was a pretty great experience, a once in a lifetime thing and I'm so excited that I was able to attend.

Look at all the people!!!! I was supposed to be sitting about where the scaffolding is on the right side and this is where I ended up. I have to say, it was pretty nice even still.

Yet again, proof that I was there :)

The beauty that is St. Peters Square and Basilica!

So I hope this shows the true vastness that was the crowd. And now think that this is just inside the actual piazza. There is another road that is off to the left of this picture that is at least 1/2 mile long and about 6 lanes wide that was equally packed! Do you get it know??? So many people!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know how in the US if we have a national holiday on a Sunday, the legal holiday will fall on the following Monday... Well, I'm in Italy right? Home of the catholic religion... So naturally, the day after Easter is a national holiday. Easter is called Pasqua and the day after Easter is called Pasquetta, essentially, little Easter. Even though it is not a holiday in the US, we got that day off school because all our professors didn't want to come into school because they wanted to celebrate. When I first found out that we didn't have school, I thought, great, a day I can sleep in. And then my roommate Rose and I got an invitation by an Italian woman that we met to go out into the countryside and meet some of her friends and enjoy a nice meal and some wine and good company. I have to say, I was a little nervous when we were on our way because we didn't really know what to expect. You know how everyone says Italians are very friendly and welcoming, well it's true. As soon as we arrived, we got kisses all around and were immediately poured a glass of homemade wine and introduced to everyone. We were there for probably around 8 hours and they were all wonderful. I had amazing food and soooooooo much of it! It was quite the unique experience!

So that was the last day of March, first of April... The next weekend, Rose and I took a metro and a bus out to Tivoli. Don't make this trip via public transportation lightly. It took us nearly 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get back! But it was way worth the trip! It was the first really beautiful day we had in quite some time other than Easter. We went to Villa Adriana and spent 3 or 4 hours walking around and exploring the ruins. I will let the pictures explain the rest.

This was one of the many little man made ponds on the grounds.
It had some beautiful statues along the side which I'm assuming
used to be the columns for the porticoes. 

Okay so I'm not sure how many of you have seen
the movie Under the Tuscan Sun but there trees remind me of when Sandra Oh calls the trees creepy Italian trees. I actually saw some squirrels fighting in one and one of the squirrels fell out and down about 4 feet until he found his grip and snuck back into the tree. 

Some of the ruins we stumbled across while
exploring the grounds. It's amazing how some
things can last thousands of years and still
show the elementary structure. I'm not sure if
you can see it, but the columns from the ancient
structure are still standing today! How cool is that!

I think this was my favorite find. It was at the end of a long
path that looked like it wasn't going anywhere for a while
 but wound up taking us here. It was stunningly beautiful!

This was taken in the field right next to the
ruins pictured above. The field was so yellow
and the sky was so blue. If you don't know, I
 just love yellow things and since I won't be
around to see the sunflowers bloom in
Tuscany, this was sort of my
yellow flower fix!

The structure from the front. I have no idea what it actually was, I just thought it was beautiful and yellow and ancient and yeah!!!!

This is the remnants of the ancient baths
that were at this villa in ancient times. If you
are interested in some ancient Roman history,
look up the ancient Roman bath complexes.
They really had luxury down to a tee!

This was the view from the top of that structure of the
surrounding countryside! I mean this picture is the epitome of
the Italian countryside. Nothing but olive groves for as far as
you can see!

And this was just another one of the many olive groves that were
present of the villa grounds! Just beautiful!

This was taken through a hole in one of the walls of the bath complex. It just perfectly framed this beautiful tree. Everything is starting to bloom and the leaves are getting all their leaves back. Oh how I have missed the green!

Okay, so the day after my trip to Tivoli, one of my sorority sisters, who is studying in Florence, came down to Rome to visit me! I am able to tell you that it is possible to see Rome in a day! You can't go in anything, but you can see the outside and the general layout of the city! I picker her up at 9 and she left at 3 so we had 6 hours to cover a lot of ground. We saw...

The Spanish Steps

The Trevi Fountain

The Colosseum

The Roman Forum

Piazza Navona

Piazza Venezia (Monument to Victor Emanuele)
aka- the ugliest building in Rome

Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi
Calling of St. Matthew- Caravaggio

The Pantheon

Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

Castel Sant'Angelo and Ponte Sant'Angelo
They both have their own unique/wonderful history and beauty!

And last but never least, St. Peters Square.
I didn't realize that they were going to be
having a service on Sunday outside in the
square so when we approached, it was packed!
The pope had just given the blessing so
everyone was leaving!

Via della Conciliazione leading up to St. Peters Square
(Remember in my Easter section how I talked about the long road
leading up to the square... this is it!)

It was a pretty fun day! My feet definitely hurt the next day from all the walking I did in Tivoli and then around Rome! Definitely worth the sore feet though. I plan on going to the Vatican Museum on Thursday and then going around and taking pictures on my film camera on Friday and then Sunday, I have a site visit with my Ancient Roman Civilization class to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum! Just wait, I think this next blog post is gonna be a good one!