Il Colosseo, il Palatino e Piazza di Spagna -STUDENT BLOG TAKEOVER-

  Ciao a tutti!

Program Leader Andrew with another blog for our Rome program. Today's blog is a student takeover. One of our young navigators has written the blog and provided some photos so that our readers can get a taste of the amazing day the we spent in the historic center of Rome. Continue reading for your STUDENT TAKEOVER!

Sierra Siedsma here, one of the nineteen navigators on this unbelievable trip. Today we had an early wake up, and were ready to go at 7 45 for our action packed day with a considerable amount of walking. 

The first site that was on our tour list was the colosseum, which is located in the center of Rome and built almost two thousand years ago. The navigators and I were blown away by the massive size of the amphitheatre and the astonishing history behind the building. We were able to view the arena through multiple viewpoints, from one of the highests spots in the theater to the emperor's viewing box on the ground floor. 

After our exploration of the colosseum we traveled to Palatine hill where Rome was founded. We strolled through Renaissance gardens and the remains of a few emperors' palaces, before reaching the panaramic view of the city and the archaeological remains of the Roman Forum. Through our torur we were drawn back to the days of ancient Rome by the iconic pillars and churches nestled in the old cobblestone streets. 

Following our long trek, we were exhausted by the many steps and the hills climbed so we went to luch at La Taverna dei Quaranta for pasta and a tasty coffee dessert.

Once our stomachs were full, we went to relax at a local park called Villa Celimontana. During our time at the park we played soccer, volleyball and racquetball, while others rested by sunbathing and reading. The park was visited by a few locals and many friendly dogs, which were very playful especially when playing soccer. 

Later, we decided to do a little shopping at the spanish steps, which is a major shopping center full of expensive brand shops and home to the oldest McDonalds in Italy. A few people bought bags and clothes while others window shopped.

We ended our day with our usual dinner spot in our hotel, chatting and playing uno at the table. All in all it was an educational and adventurous day that will be remembered.

Ciao, thank you for reading!

Sierra Siedsma