A transformative three weeks

Ciao, tutti! Autumn has finally arrived in Rome, bringing lots of rain and chilly breezes to the city. It's been a while since my last post - Blogger locked me out for about a week without any apparent reason - and I have had so many adventures that I barely know where to start! I'll make a few posts to update you all, but here is the overview:

October 26: We took our final day trip as a group to Palestrina (ancient name: Praeneste) and Tivoli, where we had the pleasure of visiting the villa of the emperor Hadrian (one of my favorites), Villa d'Este (renowned for its spectacular fountains), and the ancient Sanctuary of Fortuna. It was a very hilly day. Hadrian's Villa is absolutely massive, a sprawling pseudo-city with a gorgeous hilltop view where (on a clear day) you can view Rome in the distance. Villa d'Este's property is essentially carved into a hill, with multiple terraces each sporting fantastic fountains and gardens. And the Sanctuary of Fortuna exploits a massive hill by transforming it into a majestic marble climb to a great temple at the top; from there, one can even see the sea.

In Hadrian's private quarters

One of the fountains at Villa d'Este, Tivoli

The view from the top of the Sanctuary to Fortuna in Palestrina 

October 27: Four friends and I went to the Vatican Museum and saw some truly breathtaking art, including the Sistine Chapel (we all got sore necks from gaping up at the ceiling for so long) and some really fabulous ancient sculptures. I also was treated to seeing some originals by not only Michelangelo but also Raphael (Raffaello), Caravaggio, and even Leonardo (da Vinci)! Raphael's School of Athens was such an exciting piece to view, having seen it in many textbooks in my day. To my surprise, there was also some very beautiful modern art tucked away among the opulence of papal riches and the vast collections from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and other bygone empires. Definitely worth a second visit, in my opinion.

School of Athens by Raphael

Egyptian wing

Laocoon statue, one of my favorites!

October 31: Halloween in Rome is rather subdued compared to the States, although I saw some younger people dressing up as the evening wore on. To my delight, I was able to satisfy a ferocious craving for pumpkin by ordering a slice of pumpkin pie at the Abbey Theater (one of our favorite haunts). It wasn't exactly akin to what you can get in America, but it was close enough and very, very good.

November 1-3: I took my first trip alone to a small city in southern Italy called Matera, taking the train from Rome to Bari and a bus from Bari to the central Matera. It was absolutely one of the best experiences of my semester (and I'd even venture to say of my life) so far, and it's worth a blog post of it's own so I won't elaborate here. :)

November 5-9: Shortly after returning from Matera, the entire Rome program embarked on a mega-tour of the Bay of Naples area on Italy's southwestern coast. We saw Herculaneum and Pompeii, two archaeological sites I've been desperate to visit since before middle school, and also toured the breathtaking Amalfi Coast, an ancient Greek settlement in Paestum, the spectacular island of Capri, the archaeological museum at Naples, and the mythologically (and historically) important ruins at Cuma. This week also merits a post of its own, so I will do my best to hurry up and write within the next few days.

Over these past few weeks I feel like I've grown and been challenged in so many positive ways. More than ever I feel like an adventurer and a traveler rather than just a tourist, and it has been so fulfilling to become educated in so many ways through so many different people. I can't wait to share everything with you! Now that I have Fridays free, I have several exciting trips planned, so my blogging may be sporadic (not that it hasn't been...). But I'll do my best. SPQR!