Well, we have survived our first weekend in Rome! This last week has been filled with lots of sightseeing, engineering, traveling, and eating. Yes, eating. Gnocchi, pizza, risotto, caprese, gelato, and so many other dishes have filled our eager bellies in the last few days.

Today, we had our first day off. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that it was a very necessary break. With all of the traveling, touring, and readjusting that we have experienced in the last five days, I think we all required a bit of time to get back on track. We had a lot of different options with how to savor our free day: Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, Lazio soccer game, Scavenger hunt exploration, and essentially anything else you could imagine. Many of us spent part of the day nestled in our warm beds trying to regroup before all the fun begins again tomorrow.

A group of us did venture out to watch Lazio vs. Crotone at Stadio Olimpico this afternoon. It was quite the experience! We were all amazed when a trained eagle flew around the stadium before the start of the game and landed at a podium next to its trainer The Lazio fans engulfed in blue apparel surrounded us in the stands. They cheered loudly and passionately for their beloved team and joined together for various chants and songs. We had a blast trying to join in on the fun even with our inability to translate. The game ended with Lazio scoring their only goal of the game in the 90th minute. Yay, a win for Lazio!

Chloe and I can’t wait to continue sharing our adventures with you all!

Ciao!