¡Que guay!

Hello all!

This past weekend I left Spain for the first time since I arrived in early January. We didn't have classes on Friday because of the feast of St. Thomas and therefore my friend Shannon and I decided to use our long weekend to see Rome! One of my close friends from Temple, Sara, is also currently studying abroad in Milan, Italy. Before we both left we had talked about meeting up and within a month of arriving, we got to see each other.
Shannon and I left from the Oviedo airport early Friday morning and arrived in Rome around 2PM. At the airport we had a first taste of experiencing a culture in which we couldn't speak the language at all. We eventually managed to find the train station and buy ridiculously over-priced train tickets to Termini Station, the Grand Central Station of Rome. At the ticket office we were told we only had two minutes before the next train left which actually translated to 30 seconds. Luckily the men in front of us were able to hold open the door so we could board at the last second (for a minute I thought Shannon was going to get crushed in the door or we were going to be separated). After a direct train ride to Termini station, our directions were put to the test as we headed out to find the Basilica of San Clemente. Although we got slightly lost, thanks to the lack of street signs in Europe, and almost got run over on several occasions, Italians don't like to stop for anyone so crossing the street is a dangerous task, we found the church. It was a gorgeous church, but the current building is not the best part. Visitors are able to tour the remains of the three other churches that stood on the same site (from the 1st, 4th, and 9th centuries). The staircases to these remains allows you to see ancient frescos and rooms used for worship and other purposes. Needless to say, it was worth the 5 Euro entrance fee. Next we headed to the Pantheon which doubles as the Basilica of St. Mary and Martyrs. There we saw the burial site of the artist Raphael and had the opportunity to sit (our feet needed it) and admire the artwork on the walls and the artwork of the structure of the building. After we had our first taste of Italian gelato (I had mixed berry and chocolate hazelnut) before taking a frustrating walk to try and find our hostel. After about an hour and half of walking and angrily wondering why Europe doens't invest in better street signs, we found our hostel and checked in. Shannon and I than had about an hour to rest before the other girls arrived.
My friend Sara and her two friends Ashley and Amanda met up with us at the hostel and after getting to know each other a little bit, the five of us went to a pizzeria on our street and all got our own pizzas. They were absolutely delicious!!! We called it an early night because we had an early morning the next day.
Saturday we got up early and had breakfast provided by our hostel. First we headed to the Colosseum and spent about an hour admiring the building and the history of it. It was increible to imagine the Colosseum filled with Romans waiting for the events of the day to start. One of the signs we read said that after the events people would recieve free meat from the animals killed that day. Anyways, next we headed to the Roman Forum (right next door practically) and saw the ruins of several temples and the marketplace. I said to Shannon, "this is the Reading Terminal Market of ancient Rome!" (Reading Terminal Market is in Philly). We didn't spend long at the Forum before heading to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Not only is the church amazingly beautiful but it also hosts relics of the crib of Christ. Yes, you read that correctly, the crib of Christ! How cool is that, or as we say in Spain- que guay!
We decided that our feet needed a break and so we took the metro to Vatican City. Ashely, Shannon, and I took a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica while Sara and Amanda enjoyed time at a cafe and toured St. Peter's on their own. The Vatican museums are truly increible. They are filled with tons of artwork including things like numerous rooms with Raphael's frescos, ancient statues, tapestries from the 1520's, and 2000 year old mosaics as the floors! Shannon and I kept looking at each other in utter disbelief. The Sistine Chapel is more amazing than a post card or an art textbook can capture, you could spend a day just looking at the ceiling. It was commissioned by Pope Sixtus in the early 1500s (1508 I believe) and was painted in four years. Michaelangelo also painted the wall behind the altar. This piece took him five years and is titled the Last Judgment. It includes a self-portrait and in hell, he painted the face of his enemy, a cardinal, who consistently criticized his work. When the cardinal asked the Pope to have it removed, he replied that he had no influence in the matters of hell and so the portrait remains to this day. Finally we headed to St. Peter's, the largest church of Rome, and I think my favorite that we saw. All the popes have been buried at St. Peter's and the main altar is over the site of St. Peter's grave. If you want to know more information about what I learned just ask, but putting it all in this blog post would take all day.
After the tour the three of us met up with Sara and Amanda for a pasta dinner with wine in front of the Pantheon. The view was amazing and the food was nothing to complain about. After we headed to the Trevi Fountain to toss in two coins- one for our return to Rome and the other for a wish come true. Finally we went to the Spanish steps (Shannon and I can't get enough of Spain). We ended the night with some gelato. I think it was the perfect cherry on top of a most perfect weekend. We all went to bed at around 10 because our bodies thought doing anything else was a hilarious idea.
On Sunday, Shannon and I had a long day of travel. We left the hostel at around 8:30AM after saying goodbye to Sara, Amanda, and Ashley. It's amazing how quickly the five of us became friends and I'm so happy I got to see Sara again. We didn't get back to Oviedo until 9:30ish, but the weekend was worth a long day of travelling and hanging out in the Madrid airport.
Life in Spain continues to be wonderful, I think I love Oviedo and Spain a little bit more everyday. Of course there are moments I wish I could pick up the phone and call my mom or  text a friend, but I know I will be with them in no time. Time is truly flying and I would like it slow down!

I hope everything is wondeful at home!

Lots of amor,
Ana

PS I posted lots of pictures on Facebook if you want to see!