Even though it seems as though classes have just started, students in the Italian language course have already started studying for their midterm next week. With each day of class, our confidence increases as we strive to speak as much Italian as possible. When we have dinner at a restaurant, order a gelato, or go to the supermarket, we prevent ourselves from speaking English. We are not tourists, but students, and we have come here to learn and understand the Italian culture. So, when we walk into the grocery store, Punto, we say “ciao”, and when our food arrives, we say “grazie”, because even simple phrases such as those come a long way. For example, on a recent independent trip to Florence, our group got lost as we struggled to find the incredible Uffizi Gallery. However, when we asked for directions, the responses were always in Italian. With the basic Italian that we learned from our class, we were able to not only find our way to the Uffizi, but also manage to learn some additional Italian phrases, growing more confident in ourselves and our ability to explore beyond the confines of the eternal city.
Yet although there are so many fascinating locations outside of Rome, there are still so many hidden treasures inside the city that we are only able to see because of experienced individuals such as Professor Jeffrey Blanchard. On Wednesday, our class walked to the Piazza Venezia, and admired the massive Vittorio Emanuele II monument and the stunning architecture which surrounded it. As we ascended the steps, we could not help but admire the picturesque view of the city before us, taking photos and staring at absolute awe of the magnificent sight before us.
Photo taken by Stephanie Cheung
We continued our walk around the city, looking at ancient temples and churches, some which were completely ignored by the tourist masses.
With all of this free space to ourselves, we took this time to reflect on the beauty and artistry which surrounded us. Tomorrow, we will be taking a field trip to Hadrian’s Villa and to say that we are excited would be a huge understatement.