Adventures in Rome

I Heard All Roads Lead to Rome. Where’s My DeLorean?

By Eric Vazquez

Photo by Eric Vasquez

Pablo Picasso explored time as a dimension during his Cubist years, painting images of singular objects but showing the subject at different times on one canvas. Albert Einstein rejected the linear idea of time the way most people see it, and accepted the theory of a ‘block universe’ where there was no distinct distance between past, present, and future.

While I was walking in Rome, both of these innovative thinkers were on my mind. I think they must have visited these ruins, and I also think they must have pondered the space-time continuum the way I did while retracing their steps. In Rome, the past is the present and vice versa. It’s easy to get lost in time here.

Photo by Eric Vasquez

I feel as though a military marching procession with Julius Caesar in the lead is sneaking up behind me. Or maybe that’s just the vibrations of a double decker tour bus. It certainly wouldn’t be a subway system, every layer of earth dug up here reveals more remnants from ancient civilizations. Imagine a train crashing through all of that underground priceless history? There would be outrage!

Photo by Eric Vasquez

Rome really is the most interactive history lesson one could receive. The preservation of ancient structures whose shade comforts millions of tourists daily, makes this place feel like a multilingual Western-Civ classroom.

Since we are talking about Rome and not necessarily the Vatican, (which is another country entirely despite its proximity), I’ll spare any readers my disappointments of how God is for sale inside the Vatican walls. Outside those walls however, most of Rome’s historic attractions, including the ruins, Trevi Fountain, exterior of the Colosseum, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, etc., are all free to see. Which is what most museums charge, with the occasional suggested donation.

I don’t want my views on Rome to read like a review, but I guess I can’t help it. Like a museum there is more to see here than to do here. It’s beautiful. It’s a city dedicated to a history that is in a constant state of discovery. If ancient history is your thing, it’s a must. I’m glad I saw it once.

My Roman Holiday
by Stephanie Alvarez

Photo by Stephanie Alvarez

Rome is a beautiful city with history everywhere you look. I feel that Rome being referred to as an ‘open air museum’ is an accurate statement. The amount of history that surrounds you can match or even exceed what most museums offer. There are historical statues and ruins everywhere you go. Even while you’re walking around exploring, you’re walking on layers  of civilizations buried right beneath your feet. There are excavations that are still being conducted to this day unearthing more and more ruins from previous cities built. During a walking tour of the city our guide stopped us by a church with a view of a specific structure. She then showed us a photo from the movie Roman Holiday.

 In the picture we can see the same piece of ruins but the photo has a large road that for the most part no longer exists.We were on the remaining portion of road that was left. The rest of the street was removed during an excavation. I found this little nugget of information so interesting. My favorite moment in Rome was when I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain. The fountain was gorgeous and although it was crowded with other tourists, I was able feel in tune with the city and myself as I tossed the coin in. The combination of beauty and historical significance in Rome can be overwhelming but it’s worth the trip. There is no better place where you can learn by just taking a walk outside.

                                          

My Walk Through Rome

by Guerlita Alphonse

          Rome has been the capital of Italy since 1861. My experience in Rome was breathtaking for many reasons. I have always enjoyed the Roman movies including their cartoons. According to Roman mythology, Rome was created by two brothers; Romulus and Remus, whom were raised by a wolf. The city would become a mother to all civilizations in Europe.  Even though Ancient Rome no longer exists, the reminders of the civilization can tell us a lot about the success that was Rome. My first stop in Rome was the Vatican museum, which was created by Pope Julius in the 16th century. It was considered the largest museum in the world and is also where all the popes have lived and will live.  I was fascinated to visit the museum, which is known as the Basilica of Saint Peter. The Vatican museum was attacked more than once during World War II and many priceless statues were destroyed. I enjoyed it a lot even though it was too crowded that day. My second stop was the National Pantheon, it a magnificent building which was created as a temple for their gods when Hadrian was the emperor. I also visited the Colosseum, where gladiators and slaves fought for the glory of the emperor. Over time, portions of the structure have been destroyed or lost; however, it is still a glorious site. Interestingly, during my visit I was also able to observe the surrounding areas of the site. Given the heat of the July sun, all around the Colosseum there are people illegally selling hats and water desperately. In one instance, a police car came upon a group and immediately they started to run. Our tour guide suggested that we not purchase their items as we could not trust the source of the water.

As I continued walking around the area with my class, I could not help but notice that  there is a Catholic church on every corner--most of which are about a thousands years old. I loved how they open their doors to tourist, but if a mass was taking place we were not allowed to take pictures.

I learned that Romans still celebrate their dictator Julius Cesar. I don’t see why they still honor a tyrant man at this point in time. Maybe because he made Rome into a great empire? In my opinion, Romans would have been busy all day long making these monuments and terrific structures. It does not seem appealing to have lived as a commoner in that era.