Rome
by Laura Barsness, Northern Lights U18’s

So after winning regionals and a long plane ride…we finally arrived in beautiful Rome!  We arrived at about 4 o’clock and most of us wanted to sleep, but oh no! there was too much to see.  We took our bus to our cute little hotel in the center of Rome.  And when I say little, I mean little.  The rooms were jammed packed with three people in each and the hotel couldn’t have had more than 10 rooms total.  But as Cory told us, if we were going to experience European culture, we were going to learn to love our quaint accommodations very quickly.

So after unpacking at the hotel, we were off to explore the historic metropolis.  The buildings in Rome are intricately decorated and painted with vibrant colors.  Not to mention, the streets are constantly buzzing with crazy drivers and scooters!!  We have all decided our parents should buy us scooters for next year at college so we can always have a bit of Italy with us! 

That afternoon, we took the subway to a major square in Rome and from there started our walking tour.  Weaving in and out of the winding streets we encountered some of the most famous sites in Rome.  All in all, on our tour, we saw: the Spanish steps,  Trevi fountain, Pantheon, and our favorite, the beautiful Italian boys.  Oh and I completely almost forgot, most of us discovered gelato (Italian ice cream) for the first time. For me, my addiction to the heavenly treat was only intensified yet further. 

That night, besides being exhausted from the time change, we had a huge traditional family style dinner filled with tomatoes, bread, and lots of different pastas!  We have all decided we could definitely eat Italian food more often!  After dinner it was off to sleep, which was definitely needed seeing as most of us had not slept for over 24 hours.

The next day (Tuesday) brought a full day of Rome sightseeing.  We headed off toward Vatican City but in order to get there, we had to brave the Roman subways yet again.  Cory warned us that the subways were going to be very busy and that we just had to try to stuff ourselves onto any train we could get on.  So as the first train arrived, completely packed, we tried to squish ourselves on, but the waiting Italian’s out pushed all of us…except for Liz.  Somehow Liz smashed herself onto the train, unfortunately she was the only one of our group to make it on and she had no clue what stop to get off on.  So as the doors are closing, we all start yelling to Liz, telling her where to get off.  Eventually all of us made it onto a train, and found Liz!

We approached the Vatican City wall and decided to split up into 2 groups.  One group was going to tour St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City while the other group wanted to see the Sistine Chapel.  The group I was in waited in line for little over an hour to see the breathtaking Michelangelo masterpiece.  Considering how I can barely draw stick figures, I was completely in awe of Michelangelo’s extreme talent…while lying on his back.  The ceiling was beautifully painted in bright colors and intricate details.  After touring the Sistine Chapel and adjoining museum, we headed into Vatican City and saw the Basilica there.  Unfortunately the Pope and his Pope mobile would not be making an appearance until the day after.

After the Vatican City, our next target point was the Coliseum where we met up with the other group as well.  The Coliseum was absolutely enormous.  How they built that without power tools and electricity is beyond me.  Even though the building lies in near ruins, the glory and regal ness of the historical site can still be felt.   After walking around and taking many pictures inside, we headed off to the Roman Forum.  This was the “town square” during the Roman Empire where the famous Senate building was located.  Finally we wandered another few blocks to Circus Maximus, where the chariot races were held.

That night we again had a huge, delicious Italian family-style dinner.  Then it was back to hotel to pack up and get ready to leave Rome the next day.

Overall Rome was a blast.  There is so much history and culture in this city that you could live here for years and discover something new everyday.  The short time I have spent here has only made me realize that I am definitely coming back sometime soon! 

Hope things are well at home.  We miss you all…but not enough to come home just yet!  There are many days ahead of high caliber volleyball, Italian culture, exploring and of course….gelato!

With love from Italia,
Laura and the rest of the team

PS Pam we miss you but will bring back many pictures to show you at practice