Day 83: Rome & Tivoli

I woke up at 7 again, showered, and felt energized for the day that lay ahead.

We left for the bus at 8:15 and took it to Villa Vorghese. We got to see a ton of amazing artwork by some pretty incredible artists. Two of which being Caravaggio and Bernini. One a painter. One a sculptor. Both awesome. My favorite from Bernini was the Apollo and Daphne that does a remarkable job and conveying a freeze frame in the history of mythology as well as time itself. The way that the figures are portrayed allows the viewer to visualize the moments leading up to Apollo having Daphne just within grasp. (Oh, and let's not forget to mention Raphael. We saw his School of Athens in the Vatican yesterday which I left out of the post for some reason).

And then it was time to get back on the bus for an hour ride to Tivoli. Our destination: Villa d'Este. Here we viewed some of the most beautiful fountains I've ever seen. The garden is filled with them which makes it a very serene space indeed. The villa is pretty nice too, I must add. We then headed to Villa Adriana, which is the largest of the Roman Villas. We walked around for a bit and then Brad, Nathan, Jeff, Alonzo and I ventured off on our own. I met a dog I named Adrian (clever, huh?) and then the 5 of us explored the sites of the Villa. We talked, laughed, meditated and made the most of the afternoon. After a couple of hours we all met back at the bus for the long 3 hour ride home. I slept for a while of it. I then drew and listened to music. I slept again and then we were in Florence.

I walked to the train station to get the bike and rode home. I talked to my parents online, had some tuna salad for dinner, and fell asleep at around 11 with the the lights on and still clothed.