As I was enjoying an amazing “pizza con funghi” with my friends, I got a text from my professor.
“Your cousin David says hi.”
What in the world? I thought. How?
Of all the places in Rome, of all of the restaurants and of all the seats, my professors sat directly next to my cousin at a restaurant.
They got to talking about menu items, and when my cousin asked where they were from, they say “Pittsburgh.”
He said, “You’re kidding.”
They said, “We’re here with Point Park University.”
He said, “Oh my god! My cousin! Francesca!”
When I heard this story, I simply could not believe it. I was already convinced that Rome is magical, but now I am absolutely sure of it. Before we leave Rome, I will be meeting my cousin and his wife for dinner during our free evening. I can’t wait to enjoy the city from a local’s perspective!
Along with that wild happenstance, the day continued with awe-inspiring moments.
The Colosseum
We received a tour of the Colosseum, the oldest arena dating back to 72
AD. Our tour guide, Katja, was full of knowledge and charm. The experience was truly remarkable – witnessing so much history and so many stories of suffering and honor, all wrapped up in this astonishing piece of architecture that has a skeleton still stands today.
The Roman Forum
Next, we explored the Forum – an incredible rectangular plaza surrounded by ruins from
ancient Roman government buildings. This was the center of day to day life in Rome,
and the original stone roads are still there today. The Roman Kingdom kept extending their roads from this center of the city, which coined the phrase, “All roads lead to Rome.” Crazy, right?
You know what’s even crazier?
The forum runs on a slope, so to get to the ancient city, you have to walk down… hence, the phrase, “downtown.”
It all leads back to Rome. Mind blown.
