Tanti Auguri a Me y Nicoletta.

Waiting in line for the Coliseum 

      I noticed at the beginning of this week that we were going to see the Coliseum and Roman Forum for my birthday. One of the reasons why I chose to study in Rome for the spring semester was to have my 22nd birthday in Rome. The greatest gift to myself was having the chance to walk through the such a historic area.
      We have started this new thing at dinner every night. Jenna recommended that we play this game called high/low. We go around the table to say what our high was for the day and our low for the day. This allowed for us to be open with each other, hear some of the difficulties each were having and share amazing moments that we may not have been able to share together. Last night, I was a little too eager and announced that my high for the day was seeing the Roman Forum through the arch and having my birthday tomorrow. I didn't have any lows. I was too stoked at the new experiences I was having each day. We had our morning classes and walked down to the train station. Every morning it has become a custom to walk into the tabacchi shop/ grocery store. We all have called it Johnnie's shop. We all grab a light snack to have on the 40 minute train ride into the city. Un pezzo di pizza rosa or fracchia con rosemarino or even a piadini con mortadella. When the train finally pulls up to Termini train station, the welcoming noise of the huzzle and buzzle of the station greets us. There is this show that keeps being advertised on the TV screens in the station. It is called Gli Amici di Bar Margherita. It looks like a great show but we do not have television on campus. It is set in 1954 in the city of Bologna, Italy. I will have to watch the show sometime. The past couple of days we have been taking line A subway. Today, we would be taking line B subway and getting off at Colloseo, the Coliseum.

Danilo and Me inside the Coliseum

       I think that we were all expecting a walk to the Coliseum when we arrived to our stop. This way we would be prepared for the view of the Coliseum and not taken by surprise. Much to many of our preconceived notions, immediately when you step out of the subway stop, your breath is taken away by the colossal structure of the Coliseum. I love these moments when your breath is taken away by a moment that wasn't expected. Danilo tried to grab our attention because we had to cross the busy intersection in front of the site. We all had our cameras pointed towards the site and none of use were watching the traffic. Reflecting upon this now, we were lucky we were not run over by a Fiat or Vespa. Danilo made one warning to us. He said that if we try to take pictures of the men dressed as gladiators around the Coliseum, he will not stop the men from demanding money for the picture. We all kept that in mind. We headed over to the entrance to greet our guide.

The Group Picture in front of "the Cross"

We met our tour guide and walked into  history. He told us all about the different seating levels and where everyone sat, even the emperor. Much of the marble that once covered the Coliseum was removed to cover the outside of many churches throughout the city. The guide even noted that the only renovation to the Coliseum was the flooring on the main stage and marble added to a seating area at one end that was done during the time of Mussolini. He wanted to create a new Roman Empire. Well, history has shown us how long that has lasted. Our guide was talking about a cross that was placed in the Coliseum by Pope John Paul 2. Apparently, I wasn't paying attention and asked him was the cross was for right after he finished talking about it. I could never let this moment down. Every time we came upon a cross in Rome, everyone would quickly ask me why that cross was put there. Thinking back on it, seeing Jenna's face after laughing so hard still makes me giggle to this day. It is just banter. Jenna, had this way about her that when she laughed, even if it were at something you did, she would laugh with her whole soul. You could really see the real person behind that bulging vein on her forehead after laughing.
      After our battle with the animals and gladiators, we walked just around the way to the Roman Forum. The view of the Roman Forum was much different than yesterday. Today, most likely due to the good weather, everyone seemed to be walking around in the Forum. It felt like walking around Disney World. I haven't even been to Disney World. Yes, I am a deprived child at heart. I have never stepped foot on Disney property. As much as I did not like the fact that I could not have the Roman Forum all to myself, this was the epa center of ancient Rome. This is where all of the citizens of Rome came to shop, interact, do their banking and participate in governmental policy. Thinking about this factor has allowed for me to see the Forum in a different light.

The building housing the supposed body of Caesar

Brittany pretending to be a Caesar

       One of the most intriguing buildings in the Forum supposedly houses the body of Emperor Caesar. Now, I say supposedly because history states that his body could be in another area of Rome near lago argentina. His body could have also been burned and the ash became dust in the wind. Generations of people, mainly women, come to throw flowers on the grave to show support. It reminds me of the women that make pilgrimages to the grave of Elvis Pressely. This man of history was stabbed to death by the very men he trusted. History has coined him as a tyrant, a crazed fool but also a man of vision whom built the structure of the eternal city that we have come to know today as Rome. I don't know if I could lay flowers on his supposed grave but I can peer at the mound of dirt and wonder. On a side note, I must have missed a funny moment. Apparently, Matt was wearing the zip at the knee pants. I have no idea what went on but everyone was laughing at him. His pants were half zipped and he said he was hot. Okay, that isn't that funny. I do have to admit that I am a little slow on the uptake. However, this time I think I was too involved with my environment. I would love to have another person from my group tell the story. It has been four years now since we were there and I still don't understand why that moment was so funny.

Nicole and I

       It has been a great experience today to see the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. This part of Rome is the epa center and life line of the history of Rome. On our way out towards the train station, Danilo grabbed an olive branch and fashioned himself a crown. All hail Emperor Danilo. We all took turns wearing the crown of olives. We then headed back to be chauffeured back to Castel Gandolfo in our modern chariot called the train. At dinner we were going to celebrate both Nicole's and my birthday. Nicole's birthday was saturday but she was traveling to Barcelona. So we celebrated together. We all had dinner and Brother Mario walked in to talk to Danilo. I really wish I could not translate Italian. I heard them conversing saying that there was a birthday cake made by the Pope's pastry chef in Albano for us all to enjoy. Danilo sent us upstairs to the command center for a moment and then he would call for us when he wanted us to come back downstairs to the dinning area. We have called the commons area of our campus the command center. We all love to spend the evenings together in the room sharing things on our laptop or just watching funny things on the internet. We are all developing into a close nit group and it is only our first week hear. I decided to take a moment and write in my journal. I was so excited to what was in store for Nicole and I.

The cake

     When Danilo called for us to come back to the dinning area, a huge Auguri party burst out to the notes of Tanti Auguri. I couldn't help myself but to burst into tears. I have only know these people for a week and they are here to celebrate my birthday....well, Nicole and my birthday. We were presented with a cake made by the Pope's pastry chef in Albano (the next city over or the last stop on our train). We blew out our candles and were presented with a bottle of champagne to share with our mates in the group. Danilo stated that it is an Italian custom to pop a bottle of champagne for your birthday. If the cork hits someone, you are meant to marry that person. Nicole, was so successful opening her bottle of Champagne. Evidently for myself, I have no skill opening a bottle of champagne. I think you would have to be there to actually understand the humor about the moment. I struggled to open that bottle for 10 minutes. Danilo even tried to loosen the cork for me. The person who's birthday it is has to pop the cork or they will have bad luck. I didn't want to have bad luck. I tried and tried and even got myself worked up in a cold sweat. Then, I cycled into a laughing fit. Everyone, had worked themselves into a crying fit of laughter rolling around on the floor to the point of vomiting. That is how funny this was for everyone. Finally, I think the champagne bottle just gave up and let the cork go. Moments like this is why I travel. I travel to laugh so hard that I cry. The group pitched together and bought both Nicole and I birthday gifts from the boutique Never Without You. They were side bags. It is a lovely story behind the boutique. An international soccer player developed the clothing/accessory line for his wife. Every time he left for one of his matches he missed his wife so much. He called the line Never Without You so that when he is away he is never without his love, his wife. I love the story behind the line.

The Girls.