La Seconda Settimana a Roma!

     Ciao! I can't believe I'm already writing my second blog post, this trip is going by too fast. This past week has been so much fun, I'm really loving the feeling of settling into somewhat of a routine here (although how much a routine can you truly have with the laid-back lifestyle led by Italians?) and getting to explore surrounding areas. 

    The neighborhood we've been staying in is absolute perfection. We have been taking long evening walks and it's crazy how much there is to see when just aimlessly wandering around. I think that goes to show how full of culture and history the city of Rome truly is. On one of our walks, we stumbled upon the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola and a musical performance in the streets of Trastevere. There is such a vibrant sense of community here that I love. 

           

   The next day, we went on a historic tour of our neighborhood which was a very cool experience because we got to tour and learn the history of a ton of the medieval churches nearby. It feels very special to now know the history of the buildings I am walking by every day. My favorite was the Basilica di Santa Cecilia which is now home to a convent. I am not religious at all and it was a very interesting, almost eerie, experience to walk in the church and witness the nuns singing their prayers. The church was dark and featured a statue of Saint Cecilia who was sentenced to death by suffocation in a heated bathhouse followed by beheading, surviving both attempts and living 3 whole days after her attempted beheading. Knowing this history gave the church a very scary vibe.

      The following day I was able to use my Eurrail pass to visit Cinque Terre and Pisa in just one day. It was an absolute whirlwind and I would definitely recommend dedicating multiple days to Cinque Terre to anyone considering going because once you're there you will NOT want to leave. It was so nice to get a break from the sweltering city center and swim in the crystal clear waters of Monterosso al Mar.