Going the Extra Mile

Day 9

My first full week has ended, and I am already blown away by my experience here.  Though as a Classicist, the first thing I always look for are the ancient ruins, it would be impossible not to quickly get distracted by everything else around me.  The perfect example would be the walk some friends and I took yesterday.  Though we started out in search of the Pantheon, we got sidetracked  by just about every building that was open and had free entrance (that means churches).  In the course of our 2 hour walk, we saw three Caravaggio masterpieces in the Contarelli Chapel, Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, and Borromini's incredible fresco in Sant'Angese in Agone.  Really, by the time we got to the Pantheon it was almost underwhelming (almost, but not really).  I am suddenly incredibly grateful for all those art history classes I took, and regret that I am not taking another this semester.

Everyday of the past week has included a similar excursion, and thanks to these I have found that I have a real life super power: my brain has its very own GPS and map which make it impossible for me to get lost.  Though I always had hoped my superpower would have something to do with languages, this one is almost better.

For those who don't have my little superpower, I recommend the Ulmon Rome app (they also have it for a dozen other major cities).  This little puppy not only gives you a zoom-in-able map of the city but also has a bunch of pre-marked restaurants, hotels, etc., allows you to search any other place you may be looking for, and allows you to drop a pin and bookmark your favorite places.  Best part: it has live GPS (though it is only mostly accurate) AND it is all done offline, so you don't need Wifi or data to use it.  I use my app more as a reminder of which piazza is which rather than for directions, but at the rate I'm going, I will soon have more places bookmarked than not.

Ciao
J