Day 2-Roma!

On my second day in Italy, we took a crazy early train to Rome. The train ride was 4 hours long and it left at 6:40AM... not what I had in mind for a vacation, but it was definitely an experience! I absolutely love traveling and as soon we started the trip to Rome, I started to see parts of Italy I hadn't seen yet. We went through the country side and passed a few small towns, vineyards, and ruins. It was absolutely beautiful. The country side of Rome is unlike any country side I have seen in the U.S. As a foreigner, it wasn't hard to get around in the train station. Most of the ticket machines have an option for "English" as well as the ATMs and restaurants. The only parts I had trouble with was going to local pharmacies and local markets (like in Florence). Most people I encountered in Rome could speak a decent amount of English.

Once we arrived in Rome we checked into out hostel, and finally took a break. Rome was absolutely gorgeous. I will never forget my first day in Rome. We went to the Pantheon, Vatican City and saw the museum and Sistine Chapel. We also walked around Rome and saw the Spanish Steps, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain and ancient ruins all around the city. We probably took 200 pictures the first day.

The food in Rome was amazing. Every corner there was a chocolate shop or restaurant. We tried so many foods...thank goodness we walked everywhere!

Staying in a hostel was definitely a new experience for me. It was a lot like dorm life except a lot dirtier! We met so many people from different countries. We met Austrians, Germans, Brazilians, and Spaniards. We decided to check out the night life the first night in Rome and met up with some friends from home that I knew were going to be in the city. We went out to a few pubs and met some guys from Virginia who went to William and Mary. It was fun to go out and meet new people. I was surprised at the amount of Americans we ran into that night.

My first night in Rome will be a night I will NEVER forget!