First off, Rome is one of the most incredible cities I have ever been to. A ton of the Roman architecture from 2000 years ago is still structurally stable today (read: stone & brick infrastructure systems are still standing and could easily be operational today), the "tourist traps" are overwhelming both in terms of the amount of people but also the amount of sheer beauty, and the important parts of the city are all within walking distance (maybe a 40 minute walk from the Colosseum to the Vatican City, which are on opposite sides). Having said that, a lot of Rome does feel "touristy", which is not the best experience for a Semester at Sea program; yes, Rome does bring locales to the table unparalleled by any other city in Europe (and rivaled by few in the world), but I honestly spoke & heard more English than I would have preferred. I would have even been happy speaking Spanish & mixing in a few Italian words with the locals, but EVERY menu & cafe had English subtitles.
As a small teaser (since I haven't uploaded my pictures from Rome yet), I'll share a couple pictures from Naples & Capri to give a glimpse into how beautiful Italy actually is. There are only a few places where I would gladly spend a month exploring (finances for hotel & food not included); touring around Italy is one of those on the list.
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