winding down

Tomorrow is the last day of my Italian practicum course. It's been bittersweet, because as much as I'm looking forward to my departure for Sardinia on Monday, I'm sad to say goodbye to Mario. For those of you with impaired memories, Mario has been my Italian professor these past three weeks. He's a gifted teacher who cares deeply for his students and their success in his class, while always keeping the atmosphere light with his sarcastic sense of humor (when one of us makes a mistake, he'll look up at the ceiling and say "please kill me" in his thick Italian accent). Even though we all continue learning Italian when our core classes start, the groups switch around to accommodate everyone's schedules, which means that I'm not sure whether Mario will be my professor anymore.
I don't think the other professors are bad, but I'm still crossing my fingers.

Yesterday I walked around the Pantheon after class. I hadn't been inside yet, but I'd walked by the formidable edifice on my way to other sights, so I decided to take a little tour by myself. It was nice to go at my own pace and not have to worry about going too fast/slow for my company, or losing them in the crowd. Afterwards, I wandered around the curving streets of the area and stopped into all kinds of different shops. Maybe you think I'm a loner, but don't knock it til you've tried it. I found it rewarding. I think next time I'll go solo to an art museum where I can really take my time with the pieces. Anyway, here's some pics and a little history for chu. 

       The Pantheon is considered one of Rome's oldest and most influential buildings. It    was created as a temple to honor Pagan gods and goddesses and built sometime between 118-125 AD. This unique circular structure was constructed by Hadrian, but the architecture is unknown. Inside, it holds the tombs of Victor Emmanuel II (the first king to rule a unified Italy), and his successor, Umberto I. The tomb of the famous artist Raphael is also here. Today it is used as a church, though the original use of the temple is still debated.

columns

interior 1

interior 2

interior 3

Madonna del Sasso above Raphael's tomb

high altar

the drain in the middle of the floor (they're all around the room)

looking up!

tomb of Victor Emmanuel II

your average Romans

wanders

15 cent. Egyptian obelisk, front of the parliament building

the last of the 16th century fountain designed by Giacomo della Porta

The Pantheon

FUN FACT: Antonella had told my tour that she visits the Pantheon when it snows in Rome, because it's a beautiful sight to behold when the snow falls inside through the hole at the top of the dome. I don't think it snows very often in Rome, but I certainly hope it does during my stay here.

Well I'm off to hit the books for my final exam tomorrow. 
'Derci!
xo 

p.s. I almost forgot: on my walk back home, I saw two Catholic priests "homie hug" in their full black dress garments. Just take a second to soak that in. I wish I'd caught a picture or video, but would you see that coming? It was definitely this week's highlight.