Mein Geburtstag im Rom!

I had wanted to keep going with all my travels from when I was in Marburg, but I felt as though I should jump forward into the present (if that's even possible!) to talk about my birthday. This year I turned 22, the year of contradictions according to my friends, and an age where everything is miserable and magical at the same time according to Taylor Swift. To celebrate this monumental year, I wanted to do something crazy and exciting, so I went to Rome with my friend Paul for a week. This is a recap of what we did each day: 

Day 1: How Much of Rome can we see in one night? 
As our flights got in a different times and we were staying in different parts of the Eternal city (great planning on our part), we agreed to meet at the metro and find somewhere for dinner. We ended up eating by the Trevi Fountain, but on our way there we were able to see the Victor Emmanuel II monument. After dinner we wanted to find our way to the Colosseum, but we got a bit lost and ended up at the Tiber river. This detour did allow us to see some of the ruins left from ancient Rome. We finally found the Colosseum enjoyed the beauty of it without the legion of tourists that are encountered during the daytime. Our final stop for the night was St. Peter's Square to get a stunning view of St. Peter's Basilica. We were also lucky enough to see the lights on in the papal offices! 

Day 2: The Magic Rome Bus and other Ancient Sites
As we had bought passes to see the sights of Rome and the Vatican, we were allowed to ride a hop-on hop-off tour bus for three days. This tour bus allowed us to take in the major sights of Rome so we could strategize a plan of attack for the rest of the day. Afterwards we headed back to the Colosseum for a complete tour of the ancient arena. Then we were off to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, where we perused ruins until closing time.

Day 3: Is that Moses or Paul?
This was a whirlwind of a day that brought us to three of the four Basilica's of Rome, and it was also my 22nd birthday! This included: St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. John Lateran. We also visited San Pietro in Vincoli. We also visited the Capitoline Museums, where Paul and I essentially had the run of the place and proceded to make various pop culture references in our photos. The day ended with dinner by the Trevi Fountain, where I threw in two two-cent coins for my 22nd birthday!

Day 4: The Golden Ticket Trip
Today was one of the parts of my trip to Rome I was looking forward to most: a visit to the vatican for an audience with the pope. I thought it was only a small group meeting, but I'm pretty sure I was one of 6,000. It was still pretty exciting. Then we not only toured St. Peter's Basilica and saw the Sistine Chapel, but we also attended mass there!

Day 5: Wine and Dine with David
When in Rome, go to Florence! At least, that's what Paul wanted to do. We managed to get promo train tickets so it wasn't ridiculously expensive (unless you count the cost of lost sleep) but it was worth it because we got to see David, and didn't have to wait in any lines! I got to shop along my favorite bridge and we even had a nice dinner with wine. We bought enough to bring home too!

Day 6: It's not Over 'til it's Over
Our last day in Rome was not wasted; instead we went to see a few more churches and piazzas and I made one last rendezvous to the Trevi Fountain. Then it was a frenzied trip back to Munich for a few more days of fun before heading back to Tübingen!

Overall, Rome was a fantastic trip (thank you Mom)! I ate fantastic food, enjoyed cone after cone of amazing gelato, saw the awesome and inspiring sights of Rome, and developed a greater friendship along the way (thanks travel buddy Paul)! I hope the rest of being 22 is as invigorating as the first few days was!  And I'll be home in less than a month!