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As we prepare to say "Arreviderci, Italia," the Italy crew sends our final report.
Our bus ride from Florence to Rome included two stops: one in the lovely hilltop village of Assisi , where we gazed at Giotto's frescoes depicting the life of Saint Francis, and a second stop at the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, a damp and dark reminder of the Romans' persecution of early Christians.
All of us were glad to arrive at the Tiziano Hotel, one of our favorite places to stay. From here, we had easy walks to the many sites we visited this week, including the the Piazza Navona and the Campo dei Fiori, home to the Insalata Ricca, a restaurant popular with students and faculty.
Our day to visit the Forum and Colosseum dawned rainy and cold, but some eager students (Go Cailyn!) reminded us that seeing rain fall through the circular opening in the roof of Pantheon is supposed to be one of the most wonderful sights in Rome, and we dashed over to be among the few tourists who get to see that slender column of droplets falling into that ancient building. Later that night, we met to share stories from our journals and some birthday cake for the five students who had birthdays during our trip.
We braved the crowds at the Vatican museum to see the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but most who made it agreed it was worth the jostling to see the brilliant colors of the Michelangelo's masterpiece.
Today is a quiet free day. Most students are visiting the sites that weren't included in our itinerary, shopping for last minute gifts, or catching up on some rest. Tomorrow we're all looking forward to being with all of you at home who've missed us as much as we've missed you.
— Deborah Campbell
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