The Final Blog from Roma

Ciao tutti, for the last time from Italy.

It's 12:30am now. I have to be up at 4am to catch a cab to Ciampino for my flight to Paris. This will be a brief blog. Today, we started with lunch at my sandwich place by AUR. After that delicious lunch enjoyed in the AUR garden, my last lunch there, we did Ostia Antica then Ostia the beach. Ostia Antica was incredible, way better that Pompeii unless you like crowds and noise everywhere.

Street Shop View in Ostia Antica

At Ostia Antica, the ruins were, to me, just as good and preserved yet there were no people at all. We went 30 minutes without seeing another person while wandering through them at one point. We could actually go into the ruins and climb to the top of them too which you can't do in Pompeii. I could go on, but I'm tired, so just know it was much better and cheaper and closer than Pompeii, keep that mind in mind if you ever visit Rome. After that, we hung out on the pier at the beach a couple metro stops down for awhile before coming back here.

My last Frigidarium

Got dinner in Trastevere after doing an aperitivo deal in Piazza Trilussa which was great. It was at the bar that I'd been wanting to do an aperitivo at all semester because of how crowded it always was but I never made it until now. Dinner was incredible. Ate at a place one down from Tony's, oh Tony's.., anyways this place was great. I got Calcio e Pepe, soooo good. I went out with a typical Roman meal. My last 4 meals were Gnocchi Ragu, Pizza Vicoletto, Penne Amatriciana and Tonnerelli Calcio e pepe tonight. Great lineup Mike. After an amazing last meal, we walked over Ponte Sisto to Piazza Navona and got Frigidarium ice cream, which was rated #1 on tripadvisor, (I had no clue it was that popular). We sat in Navona and ate that, then went by Pantheon to Trevi Fountain where I got a Peroni from a vending machine and drank my last Peroni by the fountain where I met up with Matt who made a surprise appearance after a few days in Copenhagen! I tossed my first, last, and only coin over my shoulder into the fountain. I wanted to wait until the last minute and I planned that one wish all semester. I only had one and I wanted to make it count. We enjoyed some time there just hanging out then said goodbye to the Vittorio Emanuele Monument and rode the #44 line back here to the hotel by AUR.

Spero che il mio desiderio diventa realta

It was so weird walking by all the sites remembering the times I'd spent there. Walking by Abbey Theatre and Panta Rei where we celebrated my birthday months ago. Walking through Trastevere recounting each table and restaurant and bar I had sat at and had so many great times at, especially on Thursday nights with Nick and that crew. All of the times I got frigidarium with my roommates. Seeing the Archi Bar, which I walked by almost every day and most memorably had celebratory drinks with my friends after finals ended not too many days ago. Sitting at Trevi where we sat so many times before. Walking through Navona enjoying the life and entertainment of that Piazza, my favorite in Rome. My last tram ride, last bus ride. Pizza e Pasta, enough said. Wow. I can go on and on. Needless to say, I'm going to miss this place and I want to thank Rome for all the great times I had here. Never again will I be able to duplicate how much I enjoyed my life here more than anywhere or anytime else. In 6 hours I'll be gone. Life moves on, and I'm forced to keep up with it. Buona notte Roma. Vi Ringrazio Per Tutto!

L'ultima foto di me a Roma