We made it Rome! After a very pleasant direct flight on Alitalia Flight 625 from Boston-Logan to Fiomicino Airport, 13 GSLIS students and 2 GSLIS faculty members arrived in Italy for two weeks of study abroad courses at St. John’s University Rome campus. This outstanding group of adventurous students is being lead by Professor Laura Saunders, Professor Gerald Benoit, and Dean’s Fellow Bethany Fair. Two courses are being offered during this intensive study abroad program that includes on-site class meeting and cultural excursions to relevant historic sites in Rome: Intellectual Freedom taught by Professor Saunders, and Visual Communications taught by Professor Benoit. The following itinerary has been created for the students by GSLIS faculty members and administrators, with the help of our wonderful hosts in St. John’s University Global Studies Office, designed by Professor Benoit:
So we have only been here for a little over 48 hours, but already, we are very impressed with our accommodations on campus, and have begun to become more comfortable and familiar with our neighborhood – Prati.
One reason that we really love the campus, is this:
Professor Gerald Benoit
Professor Gerald Benoit was able to conduct his first class meeting outside in the courtyard of a reformed monastery beneath a pair of cumquat trees! The St. John’s University Rome campus not only hosts international students, but also is the permanent residents of Franciscan monks in training – so we had to take full advantage of these strange but lovely features during class meetings.
Here is a photo of our home for two weeks – small, but beautiful:
The weather since we arrived has been a bit cooler than normal. The locals keep explaining that this is “the absolutely coldest spring in 200 years!” We assume that this must have been a news headline, because everyone keeps using that exact expression. Here is a great shot of the cloudy, cool weather near our dorm:
Walking into Town from Prati
Despite being a bit more cold than expected, the students have been relentlessly pursuing a variety of Roman experiences. Many have already visited the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Villa Borghese, the National Library & local farmer’s markets. We are working on collecting all of the amazing photos of these adventures, and will provide updates on individual experiences soon.
It seems that the universal group consensus is that the best part of Rome so far, is the food! In particular, we are really enjoying the concept of “apertivo,” an Italian happy hour in which a drink order at a bar also gives you access to free food! Seriously, who doesn’t like free food, especially when it includes buffalo mozzarella, olives, cous cous, and proscuitto? Our very first night here, we visited a local watering hole called “Freni e Frizione” which is an artistic enoteca built inside of a remodeled car garage. In Italian, Freni e Frizione means “Breaks & Clutches.” It was AWESOME! Here are some photos of our first night in Italy – a celebration of the two weeks to come:
Cucumber Martini
Excited for free food!
Antipasti
There will be more photos to post soon as classes begin this week, and as the group begins to share our Roman experiences. Again, we are so happy to be here and all are having such an amazing journey. And let’s just say, there might be a shortage of gelato in the Prati district by the time we leave!