Today day was an amazing start to our trip!

We started our day at St. Peter’s Basilica \240where we saw tons of artifacts from over 2000 years ago or more.

Then we made our way to the beautiful ceiling of the Sistine Chapel that took Michelangelo three years to paint.

After a quick lunch, we took the bus to the catacombs for a quick tour. The guide took us down to level two out of four, which was plenty dark. It is not a place I would want to get lost and was a stark difference to the grandeur of St. Peter’s.

We ended our day with a tour of St. Paul’s Basilica, which is not as big as St. Peter’s but just as grand.

On the way back to the hotel, Elsa had us practicing our Italian. She challenged us to use what we know tomorrow, and then report back the stories from the day.

Another beautiful day full of walking tours here in Roma!

We started the day with a history lesson on Romulus and Remus and a history of the founding of Rome. This lead us into the beginnings of the Colosseum, aka \240Flavian Amphithear, was the basis of all other stadiums since its construction in the 70s C.E. With 240 total arches, the capacity to hold 50,000 or more, and free to the people of Rome, it quickly became the favorite pastime of the people, which was exactly what Emperor Vespasian wanted.

From there we walked right to the Roman Forum, originally a marketplace. It became an important place for the Roman government, as well as the place Julius Caesar was cremated.

After our lunch, we made our way to the Pantheon, meaning of all gods, the one ancient Roman building that is still mostly preserved. Unfortunately, they closed it to the public today, but we could still see in through the doors.

Then we ended the day with a coin toss into the Trevi Fountain! Legend is if you throw a coin in the water you will return to Rome one day. This dates back to Roman sailors, who would toss a coin into the water to please the gods and give them a safe return home.

We had an early start to the day; some of us got to see the sun rise from the hotel room. After breakfast, we made our way on bus to the ferry to ride to the beautiful island of Capri.

The island is rich in history dating back to the Ancient Greeks, and then became the capital of the Roman Empire under Tiberius for the last ten years of his life. Today it is a destination for the rich and famous.

It is perfect this time of year because it is not too hot and the flowers are in full bloom

It was a quick tour of Capri, and then we took another ferry to Sorrento, a city founded by the Greeks. It is where Odyssey was tempted by the sweet songs of the sirens.

We had a little bit of free time in Sorrento, following the small winding streets that have not changed since the Roman days. Today it is well known for its lemons, oranges, and spectacular views of Mt. Vesuvius.

Pompeii is a natural time capsule from 79ad. \240It’s a pop-up book into the life of humans over 2,000 years ago. At every turn there is something that directly connects to our lives today.

Pompeii was not a small town. It was a vast metropolis with roads, a sewer system, hot bath, a sauna, a theater that sat 5,000, and a stadium where gladiators fought for their lives.

And there in the distance is Vesuvius, a king peering down over his kingdom.

Unfortunately, Vesuvius was covered by clouds when we were there, but one could feel the power looming over the city.

After Pompeii, we made our way across the peninsula to Bari, a city off the beaten path.

There we met a local guide who showed us the old part of town, with the pasta being made on the streets. \240We also got to taste the local flavors of taralli, a lightly salted cracker, and focaccia, a bread similar to pizza.

Finally we learned about the city’s patron saint, St. Nicholas. He is known for protecting children, which lead to what we know as Jolly Old St. Nicholas- aka Santa Claus

Delphi may be the group favorite so far.

It will be hard to beat with the picturesque setting in the mountains overlooking the valley that leads to the beachside town of Itea. It didn’t take students long to realize why the ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the center of the world.

Delphi was host to Panhellenic games, which took place in the stadium at the top of the hill. To get there all visitors and competitors had to pass by the treasures of the different cities. The treasures were to show off the power of the city with statues and the hall of fame on the outside walls.

At the same time, people from all over came to Delphi to seek advice from the Oracle. It is said that she was always guided by Apollo, who was in the room with the Oracle. She was also guided by toxic gases coming from cracks in the earth, which was confirmed by scientists about twenty years ago. However, when she went into her trance a man wrote down her words and interpreted them for the person. The translation was ambiguous, so the Oracle was always right. For instance, if you asked if you were going to have a boy or a girl, the interpreter would write “boy no girl” with out a comma. The person would have to then make their own interpretation.

Then we made a few stops in small mountain towns along the way to Athens and had authentic Greek food at the famous Anglos House.

We started our time in Athens with a traditional Greek dinner and dance, which ended with an endless amount of “OPAs” the whole bus ride back to the hotel.

After a late night, we got started early for a tour on the Acropolis and its museum. The immense size of the Parthenon will never stop amazing visitors from around the world.

From there we headed to the Plaka, the old shopping district, for lunch, shopping, and then dinner. It was a good end to an unforgettable tour.