Now for a quick recap of the past few days:
Wednesday we left the dorm at 6:30 to walk over to the Vatican. After waiting in a security line, we discovered that we had special tickets that allowed us to sit right next to the stage.
He sits right under that cross!
It was hard to get a good picture on my iPhone, but here are a few.
It was honestly pretty boring, because they repeated everything that happened in a bunch of languages. But it was cool to see Francis in the flesh.
The rest of Wednesday was a free day, after a nice nap, we mostly just wandered around and did some souvineer shopping.
Thursday was a really unique day. First we headed out of the city to visit the summer palace of the popes. Our tour guide was an astronomer at the Vaitcan Observatory (and once appeared on the Colbert Report) and super knowledgable. He gave us three ironies that have happened in that location. Emperor Domitian, who was the first Roman Empire to make persecuting Christians a policy, built his home there. Now it is the home of the Pope.
Urban VIII is the pope who called in Galileo to defend his theories. His family was also the one who built the summer palace. Now the Vatican Observatory is built on top of the roof.
Clement XIV suppressed the Jesuits when he was pope, while living in the palace. Up until a few years ago, Jesuits had lived in the palace for over 75 years.
(You know I love my fun facts.)
Balcony from which the popes give their audiences while they're staying here
View from the roof. The town is actually built on the lip of a volcano.
One of the two huge telescopes. We got to go up and look at the sun!
The first ever mailbox
Then we headed back to Rome to visit the Vatican library! Tours aren't allowed, so it was very special that we got in. Pictures also weren't allowed, so here's one of the outside.
After that we splurged on a resturante (well, my friends did. I was down to my last few euro so I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu. Pasta with lamb meatballs. It was delicious.) and went out for drinks (I don't know what I got but it was amazing).
Friday was a free day until about 5, so my friend and I wandered around Rome doing last minute things. We bought final presents for people back home, got crepes at the Trevi Fountain, and one last cup of gelato.
Then we headed back to the Lay Center for a final lecture, reflection, and dinner.
There were also awards handed out to everyone. I got Most Likely to Self Promote, which started put as a joke, but quickly became a thing. We received Popeners from out Catholic a Studies professor, which was bizarre. Not that I'm not going to use it every time I need a bottle opened...
Look how happy they are with their pope bobble heads!
Then we boarded a bus for a night time tour of Rome, and came back to pack up.
Now we're just waiting for the bus to take us to the airport. These past two weeks have been such an amazing experience! I'm so glad I got to see all of these historical sites, and learn more about a religion that I didn't know that much about. I've made some excellent (Rome) friends, and eaten a lot of good food. At the same time, I'm ready to head home, where I can understand what people are saying to me (for the most part). It's been a fun trip, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Arrivederci Roma!
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