anzio

 

For our first free weekend in Europe, a group of fifteen of us decided to make the trip up to Anzio, a beach town about an hour south of Rome. We hopped on the train bright and early and arrived in Anzio by 8:30.

We were welcomed by a thunderstorm; some of the first rainfall in four months in Italy. Everything in the city had not yet opened, and we all had to huddle under the front yard umbrella of a nearby albergo. It was an unfriendly start to our beach day, but we decided to stick it out.

We learned very quickly afterwards that early in Europe is not always better. The Italians start their days later, so we had to search for a while to find an open bar for coffee and a light breakfast. Finally, the sky began to clear up, and the sun started to peek out through the clouds. We walked along the beach to the caves of Nero, and continued along the beach to find a spot to relax in the sun.

All fifteen of us learned the hard way that the Mediterranean sun is nothing like we have ever experienced before. Even though we lathered on many layers of sunscreen, we all left a shade pinker than we came.

Anzio is a small picturesque Italian town filled with culture. Almost everyone in Rome speaks English, but Anzio gave us the opportunity to put our beginner Italian to the test. We enjoyed walking around the small shops and of course, trying the local gelato. It was a successful first travel excursion away from Rome, and I am excited for many more weekend trips with my classmates as the year goes on.

After returning to Rome, we all trekked forty minutes to the only bar we could find that would play the Notre Dame game: the Highlander. My friend Grace was visiting for the weekend, so she tagged along and we all enjoyed the familiarity of South Bend football. For now, our time in Europe still feels like a vacation, but everything is beginning to settle down as we get more acclimated to the city.