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<\/p>\nWhenever I would tell my friends or family that I was going to Rome they would all respond the same way, \u201cOh my goodness you have to see Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn!\u201d Well, I finally did and I can say I loved it. I think my favorite part was when Joe Bradley finds the Princess on the street, puts her in a cab, asks where she lives, and she mumbles drunkenly, \u201cColosseum.\u201d Of course the cab driver angrily responds \u201cIS WRONG ADDRESS!\u201d<\/p>\n
Anyways, I am telling you all this not only because you should all go watch the movie but also because last week I got to see the Colosseum and it was unbelievable! (I now understand why Princess Ann wanted this to be her home.) Before arriving at this well-known site I did not know what to expect. Once we (all 250 JFRC students) got there I was instantly overwhelmed! The detail is absolutely amazing, and to think of all the historical figures that stood in the exact spot I stood was unreal.<\/p>\n
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After visiting the Colosseum, we walked down the way to the Roman Forum, which once again was incredible. We walked the grounds for hours and every five feet I felt myself stop to admire the ruins around me, and the viewpoints of the enteral city.<\/p>\n
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We completed our afternoon strolling around Trastevere, which is my new favorite neighborhood in Rome. Every street corner was picturesque and so quaint.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n After surviving our first week of classes we completed our JFRC orientation in Umbria! This region of Italy was absolutely beautiful and full of history. Upon arriving in Passignano sul Trasimeno we visited a family farm called Azienda Agraria Orsini. The family was beyond welcoming and seemed very excited to have us. Several of the women gave our group a demonstration on how pasta is made, and then we got our own chance to try! (Sorry don\u2019t expect me to be making any homemade pasta when I get back to America because I was not good at it at all!)<\/p>\n The farm does not just make their own pasta but also makes baskets, harvests grapes, and harvests beans\/legumes! My favorite part of the afternoon was when we got to stomp on grapes picked from the fields to start the process for making grape juice and wine! The scenery was beautiful and the people were so eager to share with us their customs and traditions with us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once we finished up on the farm we took a ferry through Lago Trasimeno to visit the Isola Maggiore. We had a fabulous afternoon exploring the island and walking in the footsteps of Saint Frances. That evening we had a wonderful welcome dinner at our hotel and heard from several faculty and staff members on how important the John Felice Rome Center is to each of them and their experiences.<\/p>\n The next day we walked around the ancient city of Spoleto. The town was beautiful and full of historical churches and buildings. We also visited the town of Foligno, where a traditional festival was taking place! Our evening was so fun, as we explored the historic cobblestone roads, drank delicious wine, and ate legendary gelato. <\/p>\n Our final day of orientation was my favorite. We started off the morning in the town of Todi, which is known for its amazing piazzas and beautiful buildings. Of course we visited stunning churches and had a delicious lunch, where I ate wayyy too much pasta. After our three hour-long lunch (yes meals take that long here and I love it) we visited Cascate delle Marmore. Cascate delle Marmore is the highest waterfall in all of Europe and probably one of the most beautiful. We hiked our way through the trails and got a nice refreshing rain shower when we made it up top and saw a breath-taking rainbow. This adventure reminded me of all the amazing things Italy has to offer. As for my time spent thus far in Rome I think I am slowly falling in love. The food is out of this world; please pray that I don\u2019t turn into a pizza or pasta because I actually eat one of the two with almost every meal. Oh and the people are so beautiful. The men and women that casual walk through the streets are always so well dressed and walk with a sense of pride that I have never seen before. I think I may need a completely new wardrobe to fully immerse myself in the culture. Don\u2019t worry I have already found the Zara, which has five floors!!! Every ally way looks like it belongs in a magazine and makes me wish I had a little balcony to sip my espresso on. (Sorry Dunkin Donuts I have found a replacement.)<\/p>\n Grazie for keeping up with me so far! I will be travelling to the Amalfi Coast this weekend so stay tuned!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Whenever I would tell my friends or family that I was going to Rome they would all respond the same way, \u201cOh my goodness you have to see Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn!\u201d Well, I finally did and I can say I loved it. I think my favorite part was when Joe Bradley finds the … <\/p>\n![\"IMG_0190\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/goglobal\/files\/2015\/09\/IMG_0190.jpg\")
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