Day 6 and 7: History Class continues

Day 6: When studying in Rome there are many things to do, one of which is presentations.  I volunteered to present the Theatre of Marcellus which is partially why I ran our of hours for blogging yesterday. My apologies! Thursday is our last day of classes every week which also means it is a busy day! Three classes and we got our first passes for the Gym! These memberships are especially important to the people on sports teams because it allows us to lift and and strengthen our bodies outside of running.   I am looking forward to it!
Location: Rome, Italy--Our gym!
Word of the Day: libro- book

Day 7:  There are many classic Roman places to see while visiting this city.   The one that I have studied the most has to be the Colosseum.  Similarly to the the Colosseum is the Roman Forum, we went to both!  Our day began on the bus when we met some lovely tourists from Vermont (something quite uncommon is actually meeting tourists).   The morning consisted of walking over the Tiber and onto Tiber Island, viewing the first sewage system, viewing temples, and the Theatre of Marcellus.   We then walked up the Capitoline Hill, saw Marcus Aurelius on horseback with the Tiber and the Nile statues, and enjoyed the lovely view of the back of the Forum.   I would highly recommend the walk because it passes through the oldest, most historic lands in the heart of Rome.   Prior to lunch we walked down the back of the hill and into the Forum! I would HIGHLY recommend this site to anyone because there is something in it for everyone.  We touched ruins that were built over two thousand years ago and we walked around the building that all churches are modeled after.  For my love of politics, I saw one of the first senate buildings in the world!!  From triumphal arches to Emperor's secret passageways, the Forum is magnificent.  When we had exhausted the Forum to a certain degree, we had lunch overlooking the Forum and Colosseum.   After lunch, we made our way into the Colosseum! It was spectacular to say the least.  The arches, the detailing in the marble sculptures, and the stories behind every piece in the amphitheater are perfect.  When prompted to our own free time, Nicole, Sarah and I got on the metro back home.  Instead of switching to the normal train in the termini station, we decided to see what was outside the building.  There was a small green garden across the street which was, as we found out later, the outer portion of a National Museum of Rome.  There were benches outside with a lovely fountain so we took a small break before continuing around the block and discovering the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri ( Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs).   Exploring and getting lost in Rome is one of the most exciting things to do and even by taking a short detour, you never know what beautiful buildings and fountains you can find!   Today was particularly wonderful!
Location: Colosseo, Roma, Italia
Word of the day: rovine-ruins