Ruins, parties and strikes

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On Friday we went to Hadrian's Villa. This trip is traditionally cursed with rain, but we had a beautiful day with only a slight sprinkle late in the day. The place was enormous and it was crazy to imagine how it looked at the time. One part was a reflecting pool surrounded by statues with a dinning area built into a waterfall at one end.

We ate lunch there and fed some cute ducks and then headed to Villa Deste. The fountains there were beautiful and there was a beautiful view of the area. You could see the dome of St. Peters as a dot in the distance.

Saturday was Cassie's birthday. I got up early and went to Villa Borghese with Sam and Sarah to find a place for Sam's wedding. We found a beautiful and simple fountain/pond she really loved. Then we went to Feltrinelli (like Italian Barnes and Noble) and I got a French book to read called Le Mur. We read an excerpt last year.

Then Sarah and I went to the Ghetto and bought decorations for the aparment. I ran into Megan T. back at the study center and we switched keys so we could go over and decorate while they went to play soccer. I went to Standa for some groceries and then Sarah and I decorated the apartment. Soccer ran over so we also went out and got cake. They didn't have the one she wanted so we got a chocolate and a lemon-strawberry which were both delicious.

The Quinns, Brent, Katie, Brandi, Nathan, Sarah L., Megann, and Ryan all came over and we went to a great cheap Chinese place by the S. Maria Piazza. I got my spicy chicken again. Mmmm. Then we went back to their apartment for wine and cake. I gave Cassie a hawaiin shirt wine bottle holder from Le Gourmet Chef I'd brought and we also picked up little umbrellas. Not your usual combo with wine, but it was very Cassie. As though that's not a funny enough visual they had to use cleaned out jars for some of the glasses.

Sunday I woke up early and went to Porta Portese with Katie and Brandi. That's a huge outdoor flea market in Trastevere. It was fun but there were a ton of people. I bought a little Swiss army knife with a fork and spoon on it for camping.

Monday we got out of Quinn's class 45 min early because he mis-read his watch and thought he'd run 15 min over. I think it balances though because we had to come to the building early because they shut down the street outside of class for a terrorism response drill. Then it rained a lot so I caught up my journal and laundry.

Today class was cut short on account of a strike. We had a brief lecture and got a bus out to Termini to see the Baths of Diocletian only to find it blocked off for a strike. So we'll try to get that visit in another time. I walked along the protestors back towards the Colosseum and saw S. Maria Maggiore which was beautiful.

Emilio said he thought the strike was the Communist Party, but wasn't sure.

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Photos

Hadrian's Villa
I will have to look up what part this was.

Flowers
Flowers obscure the ruins of Hadrian's Villa.

A fountain view
From the Villa Deste.

A simpler fountain
At the Villa Deste.

A shot of me
In front of the organ fountain.

Cassie's Birthday
Megan Turner serving drinks.

Emilio, Bill and Davide
Taking a break at the Villa Deste.

Emergency drill
A view of the terrorism response drill from our classroom's balcony.

The strike
Protestors beat drums and blow whistles to make noise.

Marching by the Colosseum
There was a guy in the car talking over the megaphones.

Comments

[Andrew]

Woo!
Okay, so obviously you are having an awesome time. So instead, I'll talk about myself. So, I really wanted to have another senior year, just a big fun time. And I'm getting it. I mean, it's a crazy emotional roller coaster, but I have plenty of memories! Anyway, hope you check these, cause it's fun to leave random stuff here!