Rome Is Where the Heart Is

 

This morning, students had a much-needed chance to sleep in and take advantage of a sleet-than-usual start to the day.   Then, feeling rested, they had time to spend working on their final projects in the hotel or by the pool.  What a great way to study!   In the afternoon, we all set out to meet our private guides at 2 of Rome’s most visited sights. First, we got to stroll through the remains of Roman Forum, walking the same stone streets trod by emperors ages ago.  Then, we entered the Colosseum itself, passing under its enormous stone arches and climbing the steep steps to look out over area and image the scenes that took place there when it was originally in use.

 

A dinner downtown capped off our evening together! 

 

Today, students have been preparing for their exams.  It’s hard to believe how quickly these courses have flown, but they are almost at an end.  In the mid-afternoon, we put down the books, closed the laptops, and headed out to visit Vatican City.  We walked through the Vatican Museums, down one long corridor after ani there, each filled with priceless works of art.  While some horses paintings, others displayed sculptures, mosaics, or tapestries.  Weathered in the Sistine Chapel, with a chance to look up at da Vinci’s intricate ceiling.  We ended St. Peter’s Basilica, where the scale of the building made quite an impression on some students.

 

Tomorrow, they will all write their final exams, which will bring together all they have learned over the past month, not only while sitting in their classes, but while making connections to the place and people they have met.  They are very well prepared for this, and I know they’ll do well.