Rome: In with the old, out with the new

Some places are famous for their modern and new buildings, but everybody knows that what makes Europe famous is the incredibly old buildings. People work hard to preserve the old stuff, and people (like us) from all over come to see it. But we are not here to just see old stuff. 

In the past few days we've been here, its crazy how much I have already seen: the Colosseum, the Forum, St. Peters basilica, ancient ruins, campo di Fiori, the Pantheon, and a bunch of other really old things. I always wonder who has all walked on the same roads as I do now, two thousands years ago. And what have the ancients walls of the buildings all seen. I think its really cool to be standing in buildings that hold many stories of the past. And to be where Christians were tortured to death, except that is also kind of scary and sad.

The most recent ancient building we have been in is St. Peter's basilica. It is huge. It took over one hundred years to build, which makes sense. They say its the biggest church in the world. We were lucky enough to be there during mass. It was very interesting even though I couldn't understand any of what they were saying. People stood up and sat down at random, so we just followed what the people did. I think, even though I have been here a short time, I have seen enough statues. They are everywhere.

I particularly enjoyed walking through some nearby ancient ruins mainly because there were trees and grass. Normally, there is lots of people and lots of cars, so it was nice to be away from the business of all that. Also, when we are amongst the buildings, I have hardly seen any green plants, grass or trees which is too bad because there are lots of carbon emissions.

I find myself often feeling like a tourist, probably because I am one. But instead of the word tourist, I prefer the word traveler. Even though I may not dress exactly like a tourist/traveler, I still don't really fit in with the Italians. Mostly everyone is smoking and wearing high heels, except the men of course. Our family is constantly huddled around a map trying to find our way around the jumble of streets, signs, and buildings. But there is no problem with that I guess.



Rome was great...next stop - Sorrento.

In the ancient ruins.

The Colosseum, the place where animals and humans fought and died, sadly.

Rome.

Near our apartment.

The square outside St. Peters basilica. Cobblestone in the rain!

The Pantheon, a huge 2000 year old dome.

Rome: The City of Cobblestone

Having never been in a place with so much cobblestone, Rome is spectacular. There is so much contrast between here and home, but that makes sense seeing as we're across the ocean. On every street, you can duck into small alleyways with bistros or pizzerias. I have particularly enjoyed the nights in Rome. Strolling down the lamp lit streets in the evening has made me very happy. Not only is Rome the city of cobblestone, but the city of ancient everything. I have managed to spot a McDonalds, but other than that, it seems as though every time I turn a corner there is something that is one thousand years old. 

I didn't really know what to expect of this trip, or how to prepare for it. But after such a long wait, it feels really good to finally be here. Its such a rare experience, and I will soak it in. I absolutely love Mrs. FW's class, and I its hard for me to know that I won't be going back, but to be out of the walls of a school and learning in the real world is amazing. Since its the very beginning of the trip, every ancient building and museum is really exciting. I have learned about and seen many ancient things in the past two days.

Something that I was longing for at home and really looking forward to on this trip is to explore. For a while, I had really wanted to explore the world outside of North America. Well, here I am in Europe. Just being able to look at new and interesting things and go many different places in one day is something I have really liked. And what better place to explore than in Europe?

(Look for Harold. He is a man with a red hat and long nose.)

We walked into some random building.

 Meh, just your average church.

Moose Lake

Moose Lake isn't exactly Europe, but I enjoyed the beautiful winter out there through cross country skiing, sledding, etc. But the main reason we were there was to do some work at the camp. So we spent much of our time cleaning, sorting, baking, trimming branches, and doing whatever was needed.

The winter scenery of untouched nature made it extra fun to go outside. The morning skiing ventures, and other stuff we did outside was so much more awesome considering the setting. There was a nice balance of work and free time. I was never bored, and found that I had a good time. It was a nice start to the beginning of the journey ahead.