And so dear reader, we have arrived in early March. My birthday was around the corner and my dad decided to stop by Rome since he already happened to be in Italy. But first, I had a class field trip! Nearly every class at the American University of Rome will at some point take a field trip, whether it be within the city or outside of it. In this case we went to Sperlonga to see Emperor Tiberius’ Grotto.
Emperor Tiberius had a palace built right on the ocean. The dining hall was actually located in a cave, raised above the water. You can actually enter the cave and the nearby museum, while small, houses the remains and reconstructions of the statues that had decorated the palace over time.
These statues included two depictions of scenes from the Odyssey. One statue was of Odysseus and his men blinding the cyclops Polyphemus. The other statue was of Odysseus and his men being attacked by the monster Scylla.
After the field trip, I spent the weekend with my father and took him and a couple of his friends who came with him on a tour of Rome. We went to the Vatican and heard the pope speak at noon on Sunday. It was cool to experience, but not really worth the crowds. We also visited the old Jewish Ghetto, where we had my birthday dinner. The food there is great, but a bit on the expensive side. However, if you ever go, make sure to try the fried artichoke: it’s the specialty!