The Final Days

After a long series of sad goodbyes (some for only a few weeks, some for the summer, some forever), it was time to head down to Rome to meet my mom for a week of traveling in Italy. I checked out of room Sav 57 for the last time, grabbed a bite to eat, and bought a ticket for the Eurostar bound for Roma Termini. I had a little bit of trouble getting to Fumicino Airport on time, and we were both pretty relieved when we finally met up with each other outside of the arrival gates.

Our hotel in Rome was right next to St. Peter’s and it was very nice. Mom and I spent most of the first evening catching up and catching a glimpse of the glorious cathedral at night. It was a great reunion, especially after she got used to the smell of my feet (she made me throw away all of my old socks and wash my feet with soap in the beday) and I got used to her dependency on the Rick Steeves book.

Sunday was a packed day. We pretty much walked through all of Rome, visiting St. Peter’s, San Pietro Vincoli, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Roman Forum. We did this all by foot and I could barely walk by the end of the day. However, I saw three Michelangelo’s that I had spent so much time studying in art class: the Pieta, St. Julius’ Tomb, and the Redemption. All in one day. Not bad.

Monday, on our way up to Florence, we spent the day in Assisi, highlighted by a picnic in the hills overlooking the town and a great tour of the St. Francis Cathedral. Assisi was absolutely beautiful, complemented by a perfect spring day. I understand why St. Francis loved nature so much- the green, tree covered hills surrounding Assisi were just as beautiful as its white cobblestone streets and many sparkling old towers and churches. Giotto’s frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis were incredible and the underground portion of the cathedral had the greatest collection of 13th and 14th century frescoes that I had ever seen.

We finally arrived in Florence around 9 p.m. and went to the best kebab place in town for a quick meal, which we ate on the steps of the Duomo. Where else would you eat a kebab? The next day I got to sleep in a little bit, and then we went to the Uffizi. I got to see many of my favorite paintings one last time and show my mom what I had learned about them, though I was a little disappointed that the painting of the Duke of Urbino was away at an art shop.

We had dinner at La Giostra, which was friendly and tasty but filled with American students and parents just like us. On our way home, we stopped by Old Stove to catch the heart pounding finish of the Milan/Man U Champions League match, which ended just after Wayne Rooney scored the go-ahead goal in stoppage time.

Wednesday was the day of the gardens. We started the morning at San Marco, viewing many Fra Angelico frescoes and seeing the rooms of Savonarola. We spent way too much time in the San Lorenzo street markets, but we finally got across the river and saw the Bardini and Boboli gardens. It was once again a perfect day and the sun was shining brightly over the red roofs of Florence. In the midst of thousands of bright flowers, green grass, and towering hedges, I looked down in admiration at the city that I had come to love so much in such a brief but meaningful time. Almost eight months ago, I had looked down at the city from a similar perspective when we climbed up to Piazzale Michelangelo for our large group picture. Back then, I would have never even dreamed of all the amazing things that I would experience over the next year.

Wednesday night was pretty chill, and I spent the evening upstairs in Sav watching the other semifinals match of Champions League with the doorman Enrico. This one was between Chelsea and Liverpool and Chelsea won 1-0. We drank a few beers, ate some Chinese food, and kicked it for the last time. It was a lot of fun.

Thursday was another day filled with sights. Then we went to the Bargello, my favorite museum in Florence. I was happy to see it one last time. Then we met Professor Carrara for lunch. She had taught my mom 30 years ago when she studied here, so they were able to catch up. Professor Carrara was delightful and even answered several questions we had come across during all of our museum visits.