Day 5 - Trip to Tarquinia

[isanor21]

The past few days have been awesome! I can't believe its only been 4 days in Rome and we have already seen so much of the city. Yesterday we went to the Forum and the Colosseum. The monuments seemed at the same time, somehow bigger than I expected but also smaller; and it was surreal standing in the places that I had dreamed about standing many times before but was now finally doing it. I am so grateful not only for the opportunity to be here, but also the wonderful experiences I am having. I'm trying to stay in the moment so that nothing slips past, but everything becomes a long and present memory that will not easily go away. I am still awestruck that I get to wake up every morning and walk out my door to the streets of Rome. Awestruck that I get to walk through them to go to a class where I get to learning about them with people I know and admire. The food has still been great! Ever time I get a cappuccino I marvel at how good it tastes, I probably look crazy but this is the first time in my life that I have been able to truly appreciate coffee. I love Euros, I think this is the first time in my life that I have found use in coins other than paying for printing at Morris. A cappuccino is around 1.10 euro and a cornetto is around 1 euro, I don't think I have ever had as much joy surrounding money as I have had putting down 1 and 2 Euro coins (Which I understand sounds weird, but too bad because I like it). The streets are better than I ever hoped they could be. I have seen already around 3 trucks carrying busloads of flowers in the back, they look strait out of a movie and I want to take a picture every time.

Today we went to Tarquinia a town I have never heard of with a history I didn't really know. It is an adorable town by the sea, with breathtaking views of the bay and farmland surrounding it. Streets and alleys lined with stone houses and fruit markets. We learned about the tombs of the people that lived in those same rolling hills thousands of years before the stone houses were ever built. There is not much known about the people that lived their except that they came before the Romans, loved Greek culture (almost as much as I do) and that they built great tombs to bury their dead. Ornate and sophisticated they have lasted through the ages, grave robbers and civilizations that have risen and fallen around them. Truly a testament to craftsmanship, knowledge and skill the tombs, carved stone caskets and various burial objects, have survived to be viewed by us. I have recently found an interest in stone work from a video I stumbled on about medieval castle building and stone masonry; and it was fun to use that knowledge to help understand how the things we saw today were made. Although Rome is the main focus on my trip here, I was so excited to get out of the city for the day see a little more of Italy and learn more about the surrounding history and it's connection to Rome!