To Venice, Florence, and Cinque Terre

Yesterday afternoon, Emily, Emily (we have two Emilys) and I wandered around the city looking for the Trevi Fountain. We didn't plan an exact route, so it took a while to find, but it was magical when we sort of stumbled upon it! The crowds were insane; we only stayed for a few minutes, took a few pictures, and then left. Here are a few of my pictures:

                                                                  Emily, Emily, and I

This morning we had class in the Pantheon Institutes's classrooms for the first time. Last week we had class informally where ever our field trip was each day. I definitely loved being in an actual classroom, it was much easier to focus! Emily and I left early for class to stop by a cappuccino stand. I am quickly becoming addicted to Italian espresso drinks, I have now tried four different cappuccino in the Trastevere neighborhood! After class we headed to Diocletian's Baths. This was the first time I used pubic transportation in Rome and it was pretty easy. We have been reading a lot about the Roman baths, so I was excited to see the area, but these baths are actually now a church. The church, Basilico Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, was very beautiful and recognized the history of the Roman baths in a gallery about them. When the group was finished at the church, some of us rode the Metro to the Circo Massimo stop, which is about a 20 minute walk from our apartment.

Emily and I were really hungry by the time our class and field trip were over. We found a small restaurant near the apartment and ordered pizza, croissants, and cappuccinos. The prices were very reasonable (less than 5 euro for all of that) and the staff were pleasant and friendly! The restaurant is also one of the discount partners with Pantheon Institute, so we even saved a little bit by eating there. The atmosphere was enjoyable and I definitely plan on going back there frequently.

I have been busy all afternoon packing and thinking about the week ahead of me! Tomorrow morning, we leave on the train for Venice. Our group will spend one night in Venice and then take the train to Florence. I look forward to returning to Florence because I loved it so much on my trip in high school. We will spend two nights there and then finish our class field trip on Friday. Nearly everyone (about 15 girls) has booked hostels in Cinque Terre for the weekend. Cinque Terre is the name for five small towns along the coast of Italy that are connected by a hiking trail in a National Park. I could not be more excited to see the beauty of this region. Emily, Lane, Lee and I are spending three nights in a hostel and plan on exploring as much of the five towns that we can.

I won't have my computer for the next week, but perhaps I can update from my phone. I am ecstatic about experiencing more of Italy in the next seven days!