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Friday, June 8, 2018
Today, I have been enjoying a busy day in Rome. I started off this morning with a cup of cappuccino, the usual Italian morning coffee. Cappuccinos are made from espresso (coffee) mixed with steamed milk. Although Americans drink such things at Starbucks anytime, a cappuccino is only a morning drink in Italy.
Have you seen and touched something 2,000 years old? My first stop was at the Roman Forum. In ancient times, the Forum was the city center of the ancient city of Rome. This is the place where people would come to buy and sell goods, do business, and spend time catching up on the latest news and gossip. The Forum would have been a very busy place, filled with shops, offices, government buildings, and temples to the Roman gods and goddesses. This space was first used in the 7th century B.C., which is to say about 2,700 years ago, but it expanded and changed over time. What you see today are ruins. That means the buildings are not usable because of damage over time. But it is amazing that so much is still standing after all these years.
I also paid a visit to the Pantheon today. The Pantheon was built about 1,900 years ago. Because it has been used ever since, it remains in good condition. The building was first built as a temple to all the gods and goddesses of ancient Rome. Later, it was changed into a Christian Church, which it is today.
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Rome was built on the banks of the Tiber River. Legend says that it began in the year 753 BC. I noticed one interesting thing along the Tiber today that made me feel at home. Our state song in Indiana says, "through the sycamores the candle lights are gleaming, on the banks of the Wabash far away." It is not just the Wabash River that is lined with sycamore trees, but also the Tiber! Lots of them!
Rome is a magnificent place! It is certainly different from Indiana! Italians do not believe in air conditioning the same way Americans do, and I don't think they believe in ice very much at all. But it gets just as hot as Indianapolis here in the summer. So I have felt very warm in Rome!
I have been learning so much in this city. Yet, I keep walking past magnificent buildings and statues that I have never heard of and know nothing about. There is always something new to learn here. And come to think of it, there is probably always something new to learn in Indiana!
When you start learning so much, you also realize how many things you also don't know. It's funny how the smarter you get, the less smart you feel. This is an okay feeling to have because it makes you realize how much you still need to learn in this life! And I'm glad I get to feel this way in Rome!
I have been learning so much in this city. Yet, I keep walking past magnificent buildings and statues that I have never heard of and know nothing about. There is always something new to learn here. And come to think of it, there is probably always something new to learn in Indiana!
When you start learning so much, you also realize how many things you also don't know. It's funny how the smarter you get, the less smart you feel. This is an okay feeling to have because it makes you realize how much you still need to learn in this life! And I'm glad I get to feel this way in Rome!