Ciao again,
Last week we did a lot of really great things here in Rome.
Monday Morning, I went on the Scavi tour underneath Saint Peter's basilica. I had in mind a huge excavation site with lots to see, paved and well lit.... it was interesting but completely different from my expectations. We arrived and checked in (we had to book this a month in advance), and our tour guide brought us down to the mausoleums. It was very dark, and very humid. The pagan burial ground and the brick mausoleum rooms were cool, but it started out very slow. The last half hour we were brought to the tomb of Saint Peter. Although it wasn't anything magnificent, its an incredible concept and humbling to be in the presence.
Monday night, after school, most of our group went to the Caritas soup kitchen near the train station to volunteer serving dinner for those in need. By and far, one of my favorite activities this semester. I haven't done a lot of volunteering since high school, but this was so great, and to do it here in Rome was an experience.
We arrived at the dining hall about a half hour beforehand, and most of our group got suited up with aprons and gloves to serve food and pour drinks. I got put into the check-in group at the front.
All of the people who came to dinner that night had a Caritas card (a Catholic charity organization), which was given to them upon their first visit to the kitchen. I found their numbers and helped them sign in that night. This was a great job for me because I got to meet and talk with the people, and they helped me practice my Italian. I had a lot of stereotypes busted for me that night. When we arrived, I expected the people to be sad, angry, dressed in dirtier clothes, not speaking English, but I was pleasantly surprised by many of them.
I can't tell you how many smiles, how many times they said hello and good evening (in English and Italian) and how kind the people were to us helping. These people came from several different countries and didn't look or act in one way or another. I can't even imagine the situations some of these people are in, but they were more than thankful for dinner that night.
At the end of the night, no one was turned away, and we helped 500+ people!
Tuesday, I discovered my very favorite place in all of Rome (err, Vatican City?): the top of the Saint Peter's Basilica dome! Our group and Andrea (one of the housing coordinators at our school) took us to climb up to the top of the dome. In short, its a lot of running uphill in circles. By the very top I was in such narrow hallways leaning sideways it felt like Alice in Wonderland. Everyone was having a great time, and I took lots of pictures to prove it :)
Last week we did a lot of really great things here in Rome.
Monday Morning, I went on the Scavi tour underneath Saint Peter's basilica. I had in mind a huge excavation site with lots to see, paved and well lit.... it was interesting but completely different from my expectations. We arrived and checked in (we had to book this a month in advance), and our tour guide brought us down to the mausoleums. It was very dark, and very humid. The pagan burial ground and the brick mausoleum rooms were cool, but it started out very slow. The last half hour we were brought to the tomb of Saint Peter. Although it wasn't anything magnificent, its an incredible concept and humbling to be in the presence.
Monday night, after school, most of our group went to the Caritas soup kitchen near the train station to volunteer serving dinner for those in need. By and far, one of my favorite activities this semester. I haven't done a lot of volunteering since high school, but this was so great, and to do it here in Rome was an experience.
We arrived at the dining hall about a half hour beforehand, and most of our group got suited up with aprons and gloves to serve food and pour drinks. I got put into the check-in group at the front.
All of the people who came to dinner that night had a Caritas card (a Catholic charity organization), which was given to them upon their first visit to the kitchen. I found their numbers and helped them sign in that night. This was a great job for me because I got to meet and talk with the people, and they helped me practice my Italian. I had a lot of stereotypes busted for me that night. When we arrived, I expected the people to be sad, angry, dressed in dirtier clothes, not speaking English, but I was pleasantly surprised by many of them.
I can't tell you how many smiles, how many times they said hello and good evening (in English and Italian) and how kind the people were to us helping. These people came from several different countries and didn't look or act in one way or another. I can't even imagine the situations some of these people are in, but they were more than thankful for dinner that night.
At the end of the night, no one was turned away, and we helped 500+ people!
Tuesday, I discovered my very favorite place in all of Rome (err, Vatican City?): the top of the Saint Peter's Basilica dome! Our group and Andrea (one of the housing coordinators at our school) took us to climb up to the top of the dome. In short, its a lot of running uphill in circles. By the very top I was in such narrow hallways leaning sideways it felt like Alice in Wonderland. Everyone was having a great time, and I took lots of pictures to prove it :)
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| Beau and Chris admiring the 1st level of the Dome's interior |
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| 1st terrace |
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| Goofing around |
Tuesday evening, after the dome climb, we went to a choir concert at Saint Ignazius. I was so tired from the past weekend and the past few days that I didn't appreciate it like I should have. The choir was from Florida, and they were Catholic, but the director grew up Methodist, so all of the music was in English and sounded a lot like the kind of church music I have at home at my Lutheran church. It was a nice change of pace.
Wednesday evening, we went to the new modern art museum in Rome: the MAXXI. I especially liked the video installations because I studied that my first year at St. Ben's, but for other modern art I'm totally clueless. I would have absolutely no idea what they were talking about if it weren't for the description.
Again, it was a nice change of pace to go somewhere new...new to us, and literally, new (All these old churches are starting to look the same). I think my favorite part was the waiting room because it fit all 30 of us comfortably on a big dinosaur tail couch.
Just kidding, but it was really cool.
I spent the long weekend here in Rome, doing lots of fun touristy stuff which I will tell you about next time. As for right now, time for bed!
Arrivederci! Buenosera!
KP
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