Sempre Sorelle

Days 67-68

Most of the students here have had the pleasure of having some part of their family come visit them this semester.  Today and yesterday, I joined this club with my sister, Tori, coming to Rome as part of her high school's spring break trip.

Though I only got to see her for bits and pieces of these two days, (and to say it was difficult to find each other is putting it lightly), it was great not only to see someone from home, but also to share this city that I love so much.

Now Monday evening came along, and I knew only roughly when she would be arriving in Rome.  Rather than risk missing her, I got to her hotel half an hour before she was expected and sat waiting in the lobby, earning more than a few quizzical glances from the bell boys.  My hyper-cautions were not in vain though, as I was ready and waiting to grab her the minute she walked in the door.  Though we didn't have much time between her arrival and dinner, we managed a quick walk to the Piazza della Republica and Baths of Diocletian/Basilica di S. Maria degli Angeli.  I party crashed her program's dinner and made her friends pity that she has such a crazy sister to deal with.  After dinnerwe ditched her group's tour, and I gave Tori the express tour with extra history and points of interest between Santa Maria Maggiore and the Spanish Steps where we reconnected with the program.  After a quick stop at one of my favorite gelato places we said good-bye for the night with plans to meet again the following afternoon.

Today, I set out from the convent a few minutes late and rushed over to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, where she would be getting off for her afternoon's free time.  Though I knew what gate she was supposed to get out of, after I couldn't find her the in the first 10 minutes I was there, I then started moving between the 3 entrances that I knew about trying to find my sister.  While this isn't a huge distance, its not small either, and I am out of shape having just come off of spring break where I sat on a beach/pool deck for multiple hours a day.  45 minutes after I thought I was supposed to meet her, I was about to give up and head back home when I spied the two girls who were at our table the night before, and not far behind was Tori.  Right before that point I felt so bad that I was late and my little sister was on her own in a strange city, but luckily I had just got the meeting time wrong.  Another tour of different parts of the city with another dose of extra history and POI and we were back at her hotel to so she could go off with her group to dinner.  However, due to an unfortunate incident of miscommunication, she missed dinner and got to eat with me!  I was so excited to take her out to one of restaurants I  thought was worth eating at that I had trouble deciding exactly where to go.  We just got pizza (but very good pizza in my opinion) and I think Tori was a little shocked that we each got our own and had no trouble eating what we were given (the only way to do it).  After that, it was a quick tour of the convent I call home and then back to her hotel for an early curfew.

Unfortunately she got some horrible weather to see the city in, and was not able to see half of what there was, but what she did see I hope she enjoyed, and I hope I made the experience a little bit more special.

Ciao,
J