Buona Pasquetta (aka happy Easter Monday)!
As you can probably imagine, celebrating Holy Week in the place housing Vatican City has been unbelievable.
But first, a quick recap of my Wednesday: Barb and I got awesome engraved marble tablets and then visited Galleria Borghese after enjoying the azalea-filled Spanish Steps!
We started the Holy Week festivities on Holy Thursday. A group of students from my program participated in a church crawl that night, visiting and praying at many different churches throughout Rome with other students from Ducane University. It's a tradition for all the Catholic churches to place the Eucharist in the tabernacle of a decorated side altar. It was cool to take part in a "pilgrimage" local Italians go on every Holy Thursday. We also travelled the city holding candles (causing many tourists to take pictures of us).
After our pilgrimage, we had a wonderful meal together, filled with laughter, wine, and pear-stuffed pasta.
On Friday, I spent the morning with some friends getting cappuccini at a local cafe and then grocery shopping. After lunch and sitting outside for a bit, I met up with my friend Annie, who I went with on a weekend trip to northern Italy earlier this semester. We hung out around Rome before heading to the Colosseum for the Via Cruces, or stations of the cross, with Pope Francis for Good Friday.
It was quite the experience, especially since the whole thing was done at night and in a combo of Latin and Italian. Plus, we were given candles, which turned out to be a bit dangerous when in such close proximity to everyone else.
After standing for five hours, we both fell asleep very easily that night.
On Saturday, we slept in and I showed Annie around Trastevere a little bit before enjoying some delicious cacio e pepe pasta in a bowl made of parmesan cheese!
Sunday was Easter, so we arose before the sun in order to get to Saint Peter's for good seats to Easter mass. After a little trouble with the transportation (what's new, it's Rome), Annie, Barb, and I were finally in the hoards waiting to get in!
Once inside the piazza, we got great seats (by a group of nuns, no less!) and enjoyed the mass in multiple languages, including the second reading in English!
After mass was over, Pope Francis made a quick loop in the popemobile around the piazza before giving a blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica.
After a picnic lunch back on campus and a much-needed nap, Audra joined Annie and I at a quaint restaurant along Via dei Coronari followed by gelato down the street.
I celebrated Easter Monday, which is a national holiday in Italy, with friends at the beach! It only took us an hour to get to one of Rome's best beaches. It was a glorious day to spend in the sun!
It was really funny to see the huge array of clothing choices, from old folks in pants and winter coats to little boys in speedos. Overall, it was a great day of sun and salt water!
Unfortunately, this is my last week of classes here in Rome. So, while I silently cry, I must get back to my homework and papers. Here's to my last ten days in Rome!
Arrivederci!
Gina
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