When In Rome: Day 2

Ciao! 
C'est moi, Sabine, qui ne peut pas parler italien...

So, what did I do during my second day in Rome?

I climbed all 135 steps of the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, or what most people know as the Spanish Steps. The funds were given to the Italians by a French diplomat, and the stairs linked the Bourbon Spanish Embassy to a church.

At the bottom of the steps, there is a cool fish fountain...

The stairs! Sadly, the church was under construction. There were also irritating men trying to sell tourists selfie sticks. Gross. I have a real camera.

The Piazza di Spagna:

Here's where I need your help, readers. On our way to the catacombs, we saw this beautiful building. However, we don't know what it is. If you know, leave a comment below!

Our next stop? The catacombs of St. Callisto, located on the Appian Way! This was my favorite part of Rome, hands-down. We had a wonderful guide, too, who told us several cool facts about the site. 

We weren't supposed to take pictures in the catacombs, but you know me. I don't really follow rules well. 

The crypt contained the tombs of popes from the 2nd to 4th century as well as many children and babies who died. The tombs were looted and empty, though several are still in tact. Greek was the written language of the Church, so you can see that on some of the stones.

After the tour, I posed for a photo with Traveling Mini Josefina. 

The catacomb tour was a great reprieve from the sweltering Roman heat. I drank at least five bottles of water. It was a drastic change from the weather in Lille, which is several degrees cooler. Regardless, Rome is gorgeous.

A la prochaine,

Sabine

A Sunday Kind of Love (Rome, Day 1)

Ciao! 

Sabine here, and that's the extent of my Italian. A couple of weeks ago, my parents and I went to Rome for the first time ever. Actually, it was my first time ever in Italy, despite living relatively close. Since I know French (obviously) and Spanish, I could somewhat understand written Italian. Speaking it was another story. Like I said, I know one or two words. Even though I wish I knew the language, I still had a fabulous time.

We started off our sightseeing Sunday morning after we arrived late Saturday evening. There was no better way to kick of a Sunday than by going to the Città del Vaticano- Vatican City! Here I am in St. Peter's Square during morning mass. In the background, you can see St. Peter's Basilica and an obelisk stolen from Egypt.

On our way to see some other sights, I posed near the Tiber (or as the Italians call it Tevere) River. Legend has it that the city of Rome began on its banks. It was named after King Tiberinus according to one legend. This is one of the longest rivers in Italy, and it served an important role in trade and commerce. The Tiber is also well-known for its floods.

Of course, here's an obligatory Vespa photo. What would a trip to Rome be without one? If only a handsome Italian popstar were there to take me on a ride...hey, I can wish.

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum": well, it actually happened as we were exploring the Forum. I tripped over a stone and basically face-planted. Let's pretend that didn't happen. I'm hopelessly uncoordinated. 

I took a ridiculous amount of photos at the Forum, so I'm only sharing a few of them.

The ruins date back to the 7th century BC. Located in between the Palatine and Capitoline hills, the Forum was once the center of Roman daily life: commerce, trials, elections, and more. It housed the kkings and the Senate as well. Romulus, the first king of Rome, made a pact with his enemy, Titus Tatius. Thus, the Forum was born. It was built outside of the original Sabine fortress...no, I don't have a fortress named after me. I'm not famous,..yet. The Sabine were a tribe that once lived in the area; my name originates from that tribe.

Here I am before my fall. I don't really want to talk about it. I bruised my arm pretty badly. 

Here is a statue of the noble general and statesman, Julius Caesar, who is responsible for the rise of the Roman Empire. He was stabbed to death by a group of Senate men on the Ides of March. I got my info from Shakespeare's play. OK, history class, too.

This is what dreams are made of: me, Sabine Aurore Bouchard, impersonating a famous pop star and performing in the Colosseum. 

Fine. I wish. In reality, I was squished between tourists and attacked with their selfie sticks WHICH WERE FORBIDDEN. I'm all for breaking the rules, but if it involves a selfie stick? Ugh. Those things are the worst. 

So what happened here? This Flavian Amphitheater, the largest ever built, was completed in 80 AD. Although natural causes and robbers have been rough on it, it remains mostly intact. It could hold up to 80,000 viewers who came to see mock battles, hunts, reenactments, and shows based on classical mythology. 

It looks like I was Photoshopped into this photo, but I totally wasn't. My dad is clearly an awesome photographer. All sarcasm intended.

So, that was my first day in Rome, and I have plenty more photos on the way. I hope you enjoyed these and the brief history.

A la prochaine!

~Sabine