October Road

Its October now and they've given us new metro and bus passes. Its Friday morning here in Italy, though the clock is just about to strike twelve and morning turn into afternoon. I'm still in my pajamas and should be writing a response paper to the Aeneid, but at the moment really cant be bothered. Instead I've been doing my laundry and hanging wet clothes out on terrace in to dry in the October sun. The daily temperature still dances around 80 degrees every day and the terrace is always covered in drying clothes. A myriad of colours twirling in the breeze like flags soaring high above an ancient castle. I'm falling more and more in love with the nun's villa here on Via Nomentata, tucked behind gates and palm trees away from the bustle of the city, but still close enough to here the sound of life being lived. The air is saturated with the sounds traffic and church bells.

"We shall be having class at the Pantheon today," declared Dr. Szabo after lecture yesterday morning, "Meet me there at 2:30pm and don't be late." And so we caught bus 60 outside the convent and rode our way down Via della Corsa to the Vittoro Emmanuelle monument. From there we caught another bus, and then walked down a series of cobblestone streets lines with ristorantes until the Pantheon appeared around a corner, rising high before our eyes.

I didn't know it was a Christian church; I still assumed it was a pagan temple.But Christian have worshiped there for 1,600 years...one of these Sundays I think I shall attend a service there.

Two days ago we had another excursion in the afternoon, after our classes had been completed. We met at the Colosseum, ventured inside and stared at this massive construction falling to pieces. Looking, then seeing then thinking, I sat, thinking of those martyrs who died within those walls and feeling so unworthy of my faith.

Its noon now, and I should probably begin turn to Virgil and begin writing this paper on his epic poem. Or perhaps I should get out of my pajamas. Or not. The 19 of us (17 students, one professor and one site director) Live, eat, sleep, study and go crazy on this one floor of the convent and after three weeks of living together in this hodge-podge community, there is really nothing we haven't seen. Walking around in our pajamas on a class-free Friday is truly nothing unusual.