I stepped off the plane in Rome and immediately wished the Ambien CR I took when I left Atlanta the day before had actually worked. Instead, I was left with a stiff neck and a disposition to find the five-year-old who had sat behind me (who I would bet my passport was possessed) and find out whether he was actually being exorcised during the flight. Instead, I took a deep breath and made my way through customs and baggage claim, keeping an eye out for other college students who would probably be a part of my travel group—EF College Break.
Trevi Fountain
Once we were all introduced and on the bus, we started our tourist duties, the first being to make total fools of ourselves trying to buy tickets for the metro and find the right line to the Trevi Fountain; I didn’t know I was supposed to throw a coin in. Our guide, Tyson, warned us not to jump in because of a huge fine. Considering it was December 29th, it wasn’t hard for him to convince us. It was already dark, but the huge Baroque fountain of stark white statues of tritons and horses reflected off the blue-green water, with the pale columns and arches rising out of the background; it made for a pretty awesome photo. The fountain is 85 feet high and 65 feet wide, but you better believe that you have to push through the hundreds of people to get to the front!
Inside the Pantheon
Our group squeezed back through the thick crowd to find our next stop—The Pantheon (not to be confused with the Parthenon!). The 1900-year-old building dedicated to all of the Greek gods forms a totally symmetrical sphere—140 feet in both height and width. The walls of the dome are nineteen feet thick in some places to ensure it didn’t collapse, and there is a 30-foot-wide hole about the size of a carousal in the top for both light and drainage. That is pretty impressive considering the pillars weigh sixty tons and were imported from Egypt. The inside was even better because it is home to the tomb of Renaissance painter Raphael.
It was after this first night of sight seeing that I realized two things: First, toilets in Italy are not what they are in the States. Second, pizza in Italy is not like pizza at home. I found both of these things out within about five minutes of each other. In Italy, they have small restaurants where pizza is bought by weight. All you have to do is point at the piece you want, and pay. Unfortunately, the toppings are not at all the same either. I asked for the bathroom and encountered a toilet without a toilet seat, which was something I would have for the rest of my trip.
It was after this first night of sight seeing that I realized two things: First, toilets in Italy are not what they are in the States. Second, pizza in Italy is not like pizza at home. I found both of these things out within about five minutes of each other. In Italy, they have small restaurants where pizza is bought by weight. All you have to do is point at the piece you want, and pay. Unfortunately, the toppings are not at all the same either. I asked for the bathroom and encountered a toilet without a toilet seat, which was something I would have for the rest of my trip.