First Day in Rome

The Saracusa is located right in the center of the city by the main subway station (I can't remember the name of the street right now). It's only a couple minutes away from many monuments and sights. The hotel is great in that it accommodates almost any sleeping arrangement. There were four of us on four twin beds in my room. The room is spacious, with its own bathroom, which can be rare in Europe. Everything was really clean, but there was very little warm water in the shower, and after a very short while, the water would run out completely. Two of us showered a day.

A continental breakfast is included with your room fare. The breakfast is a typical European breakfast of tea, coffee, pastry, jams, and fruit. Everything was very clean and elegant.

Be warned that the hotel "closes" at 2am. This means that the front desk locks the main doors at 2am and would prefer that you come back before then, but if you're out later (which I always was), then you can just knock on the glass and they will let you in (though with a bit of an attitude). Overall, I enjoyed it very much.

It's amazing to be in a place that at one time was the center of the world. I took a million pictures and I could say a million words but nothing can capture the feeling of being in Rome.

On our first day (I traveled with EF College Break Tours), we went on a walking tour of the city. Our first stop was the Colosseum. The Colosseum is a must for any tourist in Rome because we have all read about it in our high school history books, but nothing is like standing inside this monumental structure and feeling like an ant.

From there we went, umbrellas in hand, to the ruins behind the Colosseum. The ruins were excavated relatively recently and are a must-see. There are temples to specific gods and decorated arches depicting scenes of slave trade and, surprisingly, some Jewish culture. It's awe-inspiring to see these structures that stood long before I arrived and will continue to endure the constant test of time long after I will be gone.

The whole experience was amazing. I would recommend it to anyone else, and I would do it again. I usually enjoy soaking up culture more than I do being an average tourist, but I'm happy I spent the day seeing historical landmarks.

The night we spent at the Drunken Ship was by far the best night in Rome! The patrons of this bar are mostly tourists but not just Americans (though there were a lot of Americans). If you want to meet a lot of Italians, this isn't the place. But my friends and I met many interesting people from all over the world, including a very attractive Australian bartender.
The Drunken Ship closes at 2am, but it is located on a small circle full of bars, so if you want to keep partying after 2am, just walk next door! It has a really lively atmosphere with loud music and young people. The drinks were good, and they can make anything you could ever want.
I definitely suggest spending a night (or at least part of a night) at the Drunken Ship. It's close to the center of the city and a lot of fun! I'm going back there next time I'm in Rome (whenever that'll be).

The lush lawns and amazing artwork in the Vatican is absolutely breathtaking. I'm Jewish and I still felt a sense of awe while visiting this tiny "country."

Give yourself a lot of time when traveling to the Vatican, because the line to get in is about an hour-long wait, even during the off season. Also, girls must have covered shoulders and cleavage. It was very humid the day we went (of course, it was the middle of June). So I suggest you layer with a light shirt you can take off after you leave the Vatican walls. We first went into the Sistine Chapel. I thought of all the slides I saw in my art history class. They don't do the works any justice. All the pictures you have ever seen are nothing compared to the real thing (unlike the Mona Lisa, which I wasn't too impressed with, but that's another story for another journal).

I didn't feel any religious weight while in the Vatican, but I did feel the weight of history. I thought of all the men who had walked through the courtyard before me and all the decisions that they were making.

There is daily Mass (multiple times a day) held at Saint Peter's Basillica. There is a section off to the side for pews, while the rest of the church is open to tourists. If you are of the Catholic faith, you are free to sit in the pews (prayers in Latin, of course).