From a Quiet Town to a City of Marble

It’s now been almost one full week since my return from Italy. It simultaneously feels like I was last there both a month and just a few days ago – sort of like how the entire trip felt. By the time the two and a half weeks were up, it felt like I’d just got there but also like I’d been there for weeks.

So much can happen in 18 days. I saw sights I never thought I’d see, made friends easier than I ever thought I would, and spent each and every day on a new adventure with a group of people that came together almost immediately.

The group right outside of Pompeii

Our first week was in Castellammare, while our final 10 days were in Rome. You could probably consider them parts one and two of the trip, as they felt completely different. In Castellammare, we lived up on a hill in an institute where we were the only ones staying there. The town itself was small but charming, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we were the only Americans there during our stay. It may garner more tourists during the summer because of its location right on the Bay of Naples, but during January it was clear we were pretty alone.

Our time in Castellammare was spent going to a different, exciting place each day, exploring the ruins of a much earlier time. From Pompeii to Mt. Vesuvius to the Island of Capri to Herculaneum, we climbed higher than I’d ever been and saw landscapes unlike anything I’d ever seen. We were also blessed with extremely nice weather – 60 degrees and sunny on most days, save for afternoon rain on our day in Capri.

Me on the Island of Capri

On our last night in Castellammare, I was out on the balcony talking about life with one of our group members when suddenly fireworks started going off down below, near the bay. We couldn’t believe it; it was like a scene out of a movie. Here we were, standing on a balcony with an awesome night view of the Bay of Naples on our last night in that town, and now we were being treated to fireworks. I swear, I felt like I was in The Lizzie McGuire Movie! 

The next day, we bid farewell to Castellammare and set off for the adventures of The Eternal City. Rome turned out to be everything I’d hoped for and more. The weather was no longer on our side – most days it either rained or was in the 40s – but it didn’t matter. Seeing things like the Ancient Roman Forum, the Coliseum, and Vatican City were a dream come true. One thing that makes Rome so different from all the other major cities in the world is that in Rome, everywhere you turn there’s an ancient column, or an archeological site, or a preserved inscription. Its history is so rich and so deeply embedded in the city that it truly is one of a kind. Rome has all the glamour of a big city, all the charms of a small town, and an unparalleled history right in its midst.

The Coliseum in all its glory 

My favorite moment from our stay in Rome was when we were at the Capitoline Museum. We went to the museum at night, which at first I didn’t understand. But at one point we reached a porch that overlooks the Ancient Forum, and once I saw that, it all made sense. There, in all its current glory, were the ruins of this once great Empire, illuminated in the night. Under the cloudy sky and with the Coliseum looming in the distance, the scene was haunting. How could a space that was once filled with so much life and vigor and energy, a space that was once the center of the largest empire in the ancient world, become this? You can’t get that feeling anywhere else. That night really tied the trip together for me; why we were there, and what Rome stands for, both now and back then. 

My favorite moment in Rome: the haunting Forum at night

When it came time to leave Rome and bid farewell to Italy, it was bittersweet. I was sad to leave such a wonderful trip and magical city, but I knew I had things to look forward to back home. Since my return, I’ve thought about it, and I do think those two and a half weeks were the best experience of my life so far. It’s a totally different (and slower!) way of life over there, and while it was short, living in another culture can really open your eyes to the world.

I left the trip with a newfound interest in Ancient Rome, its people, and its legacy. I also left with pictures and memories of people and places that I won’t ever forget, hopes to one day return to Italy, and a new appreciation for my own culture here in the United States.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Augustus himself, a man responsible for much of Ancient Rome’s splendor:

“You make my heart glad by building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal.”

First Day in Italy

It's now 8:20 a.m. in Castellammare de Stabia, Italy, the morning of my second day here. Yesterday we finally arrived after a long flight from D.C. to Paris that left on Wednesday night, a two hour flight from Paris to Naples that left an hour late because of bad weather in Paris, and a 20 minute bus ride to the Vesuvian Institute, where we're staying in Castellammare. I was hoping to sleep on the plane, but all in all I only got about 45 minutes of sleep the entire time.

When we arrived, everyone was already exhausted but excited. We were also quite hungry (airline food is..um..not good), so it was a welcome to be told to immediately go eat lunch. It was about 2:30 p.m. at this point, or 8:30 a.m. back home on the time we were accustomed to. We walked into the dining hall and saw that sitting right outside the window behind some trees was the Bay of Naples! Quite a sight for lunch. We also learned we are the only group staying in this whole place. Pretty cool to have to place to ourselves, and we're also all on the third floor.

Lunch was very good, though there were three courses! First we had pasta with some kind of tomato sauce, then we had a small salad with I think pork. It was so tender and tasted amazing. Our last course was fruit. Oh, and there was bread on the table too. We were all stuffed! Then our professor told us that at 5 p.m. we were going to go out and take an orientating walk in town. It was about 3:35 at this point, so many of us were thinking we could catch a quick nap since we were fading fast. But then we finally got our room keys, and made our way to the third floor. My roommate Serena and I went to the window of our small room first, and figured out how to open up the heavy blinds. What we saw was breathtaking. Our room looked out right onto the town and the Bay of Naples! Then we realized people in our group were on a balcony down the hall, and we ran out to that. This was our view:

That's Mt. Vesuvius in the background!

The whole group still can't get over the views we have right from where we're staying! Also, needless to say, no one got the nap they were planning. Soon enough 5 p.m. came around and by 5:30 we were off to take our walk. The sun was quickly setting at this point and it was soon nighttime. Leaving the Institute meant going down the big hill it's on, which means going down extremely narrow roads and turns, which we soon learned we have to share with cars and motorcycles that fly down it out of nowhere. Even when we got to the bottom, we still had to share narrow roads with cars that pushed their way through. I thought driving in New York City was bad, but this is way worse! But the narrow streets are gorgeous, and once we got into the town area there were blue lights set up for the Epiphany, (the Italian Christmas), which is on Sunday. Our professors showed us where to go for the supermarket and ATM and we walked down to the grassy area before the water and Professor Scholten told us about how Pliny the Elder died there after he wanted to get a closer look when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79.

We then went back to the Vesuvian Institute, and by this point we were physically and mentally exhausted. The hike back up the hill was brutal. We then had to wait about 45 minutes for dinner (they don't eat until 8 p.m. here -- fine by me!). Dinner was a different kind of pasta and sauce, turkey, and fruit again. And of course bread. After dinner, I showered and was in bed by 9:30. I think I fell asleep in about two minutes - the quickest I've ever fallen asleep in my life! I was out like a light.

We woke up at 7 a.m. for breakfast, which was good. Now it's nearly 8:45 and we're about to head to Pompeii for the day!