Submitted by Gabriella Dunay on the 2024 Winter HLTH program in Rome…
When somebody says they’re traveling to Rome, most people have a picture in their head of the Colosseum, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain, but there’s so much more to Rome than these beautiful landmarks. First of all, Rome is a large city with several parts. My accommodations were located in Laurentina, and when I first got off the metro stop I thought I was in Florida! There were normal residential areas and surprisingly, palm trees everywhere! Other metro stops also had residential areas but also larger downtown areas with local shops and restaurants. Off the Colosseo metro stop, you are met with a beautiful view of the Colosseum, closely followed by large crowds of people everywhere taking pictures of the landmarks and locals trying to sell phone chargers and flowers. After experiencing Rome for 3 weeks, I now have a much more well-rounded picture in my head about the drastically different areas within Rome, and not just the major landmarks and city culture that everybody always thinks of. (Submitted February 1, 2024)