*Envoi - Rome, the Finale

When looking back upon my time at Rome, I’m not even sure where to begin, or what to say. I feel as if anything I could write would just be a humble jumble of repetitive praise for everything I’ve done, and nostalgic admiration of my favorite moments. Though as a reflection, I suppose that sounds about right.

If a family member was asking me the traditional question, “what was your favorite part,” I don’t know if I could answer. Almost everything was wonderful in it’s own way. Ranking things has never been my strong suit anyways. If I were to give a pile of my favorite sites, I’d probably say the climb to the high cupola of St. Peter’s and its view, sitting on the sunny ledge looking out from the Aventine, and the open ruins of the Palatine left for me to climb and wander in. But my classic favorites include the Pantheon and the Colosseum, hanging out on the Spanish Steps, and loitering by the Trevi Fountain. I found new places I loved to be too, down by the markets outside Castel Sant’ Angelo, or in the winding streets of Trastevere.

Really, I could go on listing these activities and places forever. But sometimes it was the cultural feelings that won me out too. I was not alone in my confidence of navigation, slowly learning the bus routes and stop names. I consider myself better at the subway, but either way, was comfortable in knowing where to go in the underground tunnels. Even walking with a map helped my sense of direction, and by experiencing different people, restaurants, shops, and more, I was able to feel more rooted than the average vacationer.

When we were in the airport, boarding in ten minutes, I waited in line for a quick lunch. A family in front of me is turned away from the counter, told to pay first before ordering. They wonder how this is done, looking confused, and I chuckle a little. Gelato down the street, back by St. Johns, had been the same way. After being somewhere for two weeks, you begin to pick up on the little differences in the culture, and even though I had only been in the city two weeks and hold no true seniority, I couldn’t help the little smirk that was there.

Though we had been mentioning it over various dinners, it struck me most as we hugged long goodbyes out on the street before leaving on the bus for the airport – we had all really bonded. Yes, everyone had their close moments back in the spring, during our trials of the midterm and after school dinners, but over the course of two weeks, there was no one I felt uncomfortable with. Everyone’s company seemed shared and enjoyed, and I think I can take comfort in that everyone else felt the same. Group picture requests, dinner with various people, and solo explorations with other classmates can attest to this. The amount of private jokes, laughter, and quotes are all recorded in our minds and blogs. I smile to remember the little things like these that happened each day.

On the airplane, I would have given anything to make the flight go faster. After letting my laptop die and reading over 100 pages of my most recent novel, there were still four hours to go. But with some delight, I had taken out a magazine bought in the airport just before leaving. European magazines are my favorites, and I don’t find them often. With some pleasant surprise, upon reading an article about a designer for Lady Gaga and his lists of ten favorite things (foods, clothes, etc.), I read his second favorite place to be Piazza Campidoglio. With Jackie and Emily fast asleep on either side of me, I felt a smile break loose – remembering the many lunches there full of pizza and fresh mozzarella cheese.

It was almost unreal to come home. To be in JFK waiting in line at immigration, groaning to go home and be done. To see my parents felt almost odd as well – was it really over? While I ate Caesar salad and mac n’ cheese in the car en route home, two delicious things I hadn’t eaten in two weeks, I discussed several random bits of my tours and activities with my parents. They asked me if the trip had gone quickly. I said, although the events last week seemed ages ago, it certainly went fast while I was in it. When I left for Rome back in May, I didn’t think coming home would indeed come so fast.

Crypts, Circuses, and Expensive Dinners - Saturday 6/4

Waking in denial, no one wanted to admit that Saturday was our last day in Rome. However, our morning activities proved exciting for the group we’d gone out with, heading towards a small church off the Piazza Barberini. Though the normal church was beautiful, as pictured below, the real treasure was the crypt. Morbidly beautiful, we were all awed and felt almost guilty for loving such a dark arrangement. Though we were not allowed to take photos, many come up on Google if you’re interested in seeing spine circles and boney chandeliers. (Most of what I have to say can be seen in my fifth and last visit entry.)

After our visit, we loitered around in some of the shops near the Trevi Fountain, not far from the church. Not many things were open yet, but we found a charming leather store, many of us dying to purchase some authentic Italian leather from the sweet old man in the store, who made everything present, his tools and shop in the very back of the store. I watched him engrave a few wallets for Shannon and Alissa, putting his tools together. I longed to take pictures, but didn’t know how he’d feel – so a shot of the storefront will suffice. I myself bought a small multi-colored purse, for the larger ones were not cheap.

Heading back to St. Johns, we grabbed lunch and rested for a bit, waiting for the rest of our lot to wake up. Once people were gathered, we met with some others in the lounge and set out for the Circus Maximus, a site we had meant to see long ago but hadn’t had the chance.

Arriving in the barren park, it was hot, sunny, and sweltering, but we walked along its Roman lengths, posing and playing, even racing partway around. Though it seemed a long way to go for a field, it was a very awesome old field.

Not before long, we departed, separating from a few others who needed to visit one last church. Heading back to St. Johns, we picked up a few shoppers before going down to Trastevere to shop. Unfortunately, the late busses left us with little time, but I succeeded in finding cute earrings while Shannon bought more jewelry for her and her friends, and Alissa and Katie found dresses for our farewell dinner that night. On the way back to the bus, as if meant to be, I spotted the globe-patterned purse I had been lusting after, only second to the Colosseum ring I had bought the day before. Bargaining it off a purse seller on the bridge, my two main purchase goals finally succeeded.

On behalf of my suggestion, farewell dinner took place at Tre Scalini, where I had eaten dinner years ago with my parents and friend Katie on spring break. For our last dinner, I braved heels for the first time in two weeks, managing the bus, and cobblestones. Ordering delicious meals, I had a fantastic Roman fettuccini Alfredo, and probably the best tiramisu ever. Though our bill was much higher than expected, we all seemed quite satisfied at the end (maybe minus Nicole and her run-ins with the waiter).

After dinner when the rain began to sprinkle, several headed off to get last minute drinks at the bar, while a small group walked back to school. Glad to be cooled off in the rain, I broke out the flip-flops and walked back to campus. On our way back, taking Dan’s suggestion, we walked over to St. Peter’s. Though the square was closed for the night, the emptiness was refreshing and peaceful from the bustling sight of it at day. All lit up, lights reflecting on the damp stone, it was the perfect, lovely note to end the trip on.

Team Nicholas Cage and my Favorite Church - Friday 6/3

Friday was a day of crowds and travel. Waking early, we made our way to the Vatican Museums – not of course without taking the wrong bus and walking on the way. When we arrived at the plaza, our group was to present once more on site. Jordy, Jordan, Alissa and I appointed ourselves Team Nicholas Cage, and enthusiastically presented in the crowded piazza.

Shortly after we were finished, we headed past the portico and around to the museum, witnessing the long lines in horror. Being a group tour, we were thankfully let right in, and funneled into the museum after the short bathroom break. We headed out to a courtyard before beginning our individual visits, convening to witness the giant pinecone. Many thought it to have sat atop the Pantheon at one time, though it is far too small to cap the dome.

After this, we were let free to roam the museum. Me and a few others wandered towards the ancient galleries, snapping shots of states and such. For now, the floors were relatively clear. But as soon as we moved into the smaller galleries, through the map room and towards the Sistine chapel, it got much more crowded. We lost several members of our small group along the way, and soon enough, were doing our best to rush and weave to get to the chapel. Forcing us to go through many galleries on the way, it was hard to appreciate much when trying to just get to the chapel. Seeing the School of Athens was nostalgic, though I could only take a few crappy shots before being hustled away in fear of losing my friends.

Everyone couldn’t wait to get out of the chapel by the time we were in it, and we hurried out – though now our group dwindled to me, Alissa, and Melissa. Accidentally coming out the wrong exit, we found ourselves above the line to climb the dome. Packed with people, I was glad my climb had been much less packed! Deciding to leave, we set off for St. Johns for some time, wondering if others would show up.

When we returned, many had been there waiting, and several others still weren’t back yet. We had been planning to go to several places after the Vatican, but found ourselves weary. When Alissa tired, I left with Melissa to head off to the Jesuit church, gathering my wits to take a journey to my favorite church, as well as purchase my much-wanted Colosseum ring along the way. Though the hike ended up being much longer thanks to blocked roads and construction, we climbed hills in the sweltering sun around the forums until I climbed the Capitoline – feeling my ring by now was much deserved.

I purchased it as fast as I could before heading down, and locating the church, not all too far from where we were. Entering the dark, elaborate church, I remembered why I loved it so much. Melissa needed another solo visit entry for the class, so I was glad to lead her here. We discovered something I had not noticed in my previous visit, which was that this church housed several skeleton hands. Who’s bones they were I did not know, but there were two visible, and a possible third hidden away in a golden box upon a shelf we could not see inside. It was a little creepy, but either way, we were awed at the golden detail of the church. I was glad to be back!

Once we left, the threatening storm clouds seemed scary, but we made it to the bus in time and headed back before meeting for dinner. Since it was Nicole’s birthday, we met in the common room before heading back to a pizza joint we had been to before, where we had eaten with Jackie’s artist friend. We were disappointed to find they were out of many items on the menu, but I stuck with the traditional pizza.

After dinner, after much confusing communication and not working phones, we waited around the Campo di Fiori for Isabel, who was there for her last night in Rome. Many others gathered for drinks, and she finally arrived with brothers in tow. We hugged and chatted for a bit, though I had been tired for hours, and sought to go home with Guerry. It was nice to see Isabel, even if only for a short time! After that, Guerry and I headed away from the square and towards the bus, making it home successfully after just one transfer. Blogging, showering, and heading to bed was my list of things to achieve quickly.

*Visit V - The Capuchin Crypt

Saturday morning was my last chance for my last solo visit. I headed out with a small group to Barberini, where there was a small church with a crypt in the lower level.

I had been excited for an experience like this nearly the whole trip. When I previously visited both France and Italy, my parents had refused to do any crypt or catacomb trip. The creepy factor was not for them, though now that I had my chance, I was going to go for it.

Though Guerry had gone the previous day and went with us then, she hadn’t told us anything, nor were pictures allowed. My imagination pictured something a bit like Indiana Jones, dipping into a tunnel in the floor, and weaving through narrow halls and rooms of piled and arranged bones. And piles and arranged bones I got indeed, though I was surprised to be confronted with it all nearly right after we walked in.

After surrendering my camera batteries for no-photo insurance and making a small donation, me and the others walked right into a series of rooms with various arranged bones. It was truly a small hall, consisting of five or six rooms. Each one had various altars and ceiling decoration with different structures, as well as propped up skeletons, some standing and others lying in a niche. Chandeliers of arm bones hung down, and spine bones lined the curves of the ceiling. It seemed almost something to feel guilty for liking, and yet no matter how morbid, I found it so beautiful.

Skulls with pelvic bones adorning them as butterflies looked down upon us as we went from room to room, only to end up in the last room, one of the most intriguing ones. A circle of spines surrounded a skeleton pinned to the very top of the ceiling, holding what appeared to be a bone-like scythe in its small hand. Looking down over the room, it almost appeared to be ready to pounce on any intruder, threatening as death is.

I could have stood longer in the last room, but a coming German family soon approached, and we all left to give them room. Strolling slowly back through the line of rooms, I began to wonder how old all the propped up monks were, some still with rotting skin upon them, skeletons still hidden. When was this crypt created? How many people had been used in the decoration? Countless skulls were there, especially in the first two rooms. To count seemed impossible.

Before going up to the main floor of the church, many of us purchased post cards, since we could not snap photos. I bought one standard view, but also one of a lit up chandelier, curved with connected bones and yellow light. I found myself wanting one, and even though it seemed so morbid, it was as I said, gorgeous. Katie seemed to agree, and for the sake of our interest, I argued people do make chandeliers out of bones today still, and it is socially acceptable and not creepy. It’s a popular style in the Adirondacks, mostly with antlers. Animal bones may seem to be quite a jump from human bones, the shapes made interesting the décor.

In the dark church above, we did not spend much time. Flowers adorned the pews, and I sensed a coming wedding. Light spilled in through one side of the clerestory, illuminating a few people sitting quietly in the pews. The rest of the church’s details were lost in its dark corners and after wandering for a few minutes with a camera in hand, it was time to exit. I definitely thought the crypt was by far the most exciting part.

*Note - pictures are from google!

Rome's Republic Day - Thursday 6/2

Thursday was the beginning of our last few free afternoons. Setting out with a light at the end of our tunnel, we headed out in the morning earlier than usual, going back to the Trevi Fountain. Bright in the morning light, we took some touristy pictures before settling to listen to the presentation. The best moment by far was a slight pause in the speeches, where Erica proudly proclaimed, “I am a mermaid!” Obviously thinking of herself as a fantastical mer-creature in the shallow fountain, while not even having meant to be heard by others, the entire group laughed. It was quite a fun moment!

When the presentation was finished, many of us settled down by the edge to throw coins over our shoulders, one representing the wish to return to Rome, two to marry, and three to divorce. Chuckling at our last option, many of us threw in a coin in the hopes of returning.

With that, we were set free. A group of us found our way over to Vittorio Manuele II in hopes of seeing the end of the military parade come by. However, the crowds had already built, and we were a bit late. While other tried to get closer to the road, Maria and I wandered off to head back to campus, doing a bit of shopping on the way. Once we returned home, both of us separated ways to catch up on blogging and photos for a bit.

When the afternoon rolled around, Shannon came by and the two of us set out for the grocery store, and a little more of shopping. However when we got caught in the rain, we decided it was time to head home.

Not too long later, we met up for dinner. Many of us were tired, and decided to search for a nearby place. On a side street, we found a small family run restaurant, and though it was slightly more expensive than our cheap Trastevere pizzas, everyone loved their meal. Since Thursday is apparently gnocchi night in Rome, I ordered a plate of gnocchi with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella.

Fascism and Church Parks - Wednesday 6/1

Wednesday, our agenda was a bit different than all our other days. However, this was our last full day, and we were very excited about this! We set out in the morning and headed to the end of the metro line, well outside the outskirts of the city. Unlike the ancient ruins and baroque churches we had been seeing, we were faced with a rigid business district, planned in the fascist era.

Entering the Museo della Civilta Romana, we headed into a series of rooms that contained copies of things, mostly plastico models of what ancient ruins would have looked like in their time, or copies of sculptural pieces and statues. I took many photos of the models, though mostly for stock art purposes. What was most interesting was the giant model of ancient Rome, which took up the center of a very large room. We were able to point out many of the places we had been to in the past days. After signing the guestbook, it was on to lunch.

A drizzle settled over us as we gathered for a quick lunch under a modern portico, two cafes for our choosing, and a gelato place we took advantage of. Resting for about an hour, we then walked back to the subway station, not before stopping by one of Mussolini’s buildings, meant to be a modernist throwback all in one contradiction. Empty, the building is surrounded by high fencing. Plans on the fence showed us they were planning on turning it into some sort of apartment complex, though entry at the time was forbidden.

Taking the metro back to Pirene, we got off and took a walking tour of the Aventine. Climbing up the hill through a series of colorful, flower-filled streets, we came upon a square and a walled-in private residence. There was a line outside the door, and as we discovered, a look through the peephole in the wood was an amazing view. It was hard to photograph, though when Jordan and I looked through, we were both shocked to see a wolf-like animal at the end of the row, standing in front of the distant St. Peter’s dome. It reminded us of the mythological mother of Rome, the she-wolf, and we showed our photographs to many others.

Wandering off in another direction once everyone had a chance to see through the door, we found our way into the Basilica of S. Sabina. Before entering though, Melissa and I spotted a priest having just arrived, rollerblades in hand. He was eyeing our group so I could not sneak a shot, but we were wondering how on earth he rollerblades on cobblestone? Or how on earth he rollerblades on cobblestone AND in robes?

After standing outside a short time, we walked in. Unlike the other churches, we were not shocked with the awe of detail and gold. This old church was a simple basilica plan, with many windows, though lacking the gold and paintings. It was mostly bare, with a focus on the windows of the clerestory. Most of the detail resided in the main apse. It was refreshing to see a church with a different kind of atmosphere.

Leaving the church, we moved into a nearby park, where we sat peacefully on the benches all around for a writing exercise. We were surrounded by others, tourists, young couples, and even a large group of nuns. Once I finished writing, I left my shady bench to sit on top of the park’s wall, looking out over the Aventine and out onto the city, high above many rooflines. Sandy and I dangled our feet over the edge and lounged in the sun until forced to leave. I could have stayed all day!

On our way home, we walked down the hill, and passed the temples to Hercules Victor and Portunus, which is what remains of the Forum Boarium. After a long day, many were eager to go home, and several more had to use the restroom. We hurried to the Theater of Marcellus, where we listened to the one of the last presentations.

Coming home, we were happy to rest before dinner. A small group of us decided to take the metro towards the Trevi Fountain, eating at a small restaurant at a side street before going down to marvel at the fountain at night. Sadly, I forgot my camera – but my meal was a wonderful plate of tortellini with a cream sauce on top. After we had spent our time at the still-crowded fountain, we walked back to the piazza and caught a series of busses home.

*Space and Place - The Vatican Museums

Last time we did space and place, I know I discussed being corralled and guided through the forum. However, the Forum Romanum was nothing in comparison to the Vatican Museums.

I have no way of describing it better than what Dan said – both the best and worst museum in the world. There is no doubt the art there is wonderful, and there is much to see of it! Going through it all in a day is simply impossible, even when trying to breeze through it. Though the Vatican no doubt had a questionable fashion of collecting their pieces, it was great to see many of them, even if what we saw was just the tip of the iceberg.

The beginning was relatively enjoyable – we took our time, photographed statues, and felt in awe. We giggled at the fig leaves and loitered around busts. It was comfortable. But when the time came to see the chapel, it was farther away, and much more crowded.

We were herded like sheep through the contemporary section, through the Raphael rooms, and even many of the halls leading up to these places. Though I didn’t care much about the contemporary religious paintings, I was only able to nostalgically awe at The School of Athens for a few moments before trailing after the small group I was with, fearing losing my friends in the crowd.

The push and pull of tourists and the amounts of people were simply a turn off. Though I am not claustrophobic at all, it took me half a minute into the Sistine Chapel before I couldn’t wait to get out again. In front of me in line was a woman and a stroller, and I’m not very sure that was a good idea either. Countless idiots were taking photos with flash in all parts of the museum, and even in the chapel, and being there watching them kind of made me angry. There was really no way to stop them, but it’s a frustrating matter.

I suppose there is no real way to fix this problem. Thousands of people come to see the chapel and museums a day. If they were to limit the crowd even more, revenue would go down, and less people would get in to tour and marvel. Either way, there are wins and there are loses. It just seems a shame that masses of people should make the viewing of art such a distracting, annoying thing, when as an artist, I love going to see these things. My experience with the Vatican Museums was much better in March those years ago, when summer season had not yet kicked in, and the crowds were much less than today.

Despite the annoying visitors and all the pushing, I got many good photographs of many beautiful statues, for there will always be a place in my heart for classical style marbles. The ceilings continue to awe me, and I love the renaissance classics – I just wished that in a perfect world, I wouldn’t be pushed through the galleries.

*Visit IV - Piazza del Popolo

Though I started out thinking I would write on the Campo di Fiori – a place many of us have been several times, I changed my mind. The Piazza del Popolo, though I have only had a chance to visit twice, is still one of my favorite piazzas.

I suppose part of that is nostalgic. When I was last in Rome, we did not stay too far from the piazza. Every morning when we would go to our various places to tour, we would drive past the piazza. And every morning, without fail, our driver would point it out. It dawned on us that in English, this meant “Piazza of the People,” and though we looked out onto the space daily, we didn’t actually believe he was serious. Here we were snickering in the backseat, thinking, “oh the piazza of the people, isn’t that cute”. We didn’t believe it was real until later, a tour guide mentioned it. “Oh that’s a real thing!” was the reaction on all our faces.

After all those times driving by it, I don’t believe we ever actually stopped there. Our time in piazzas anywhere was usually a lunch hour, stopping to snack under an umbrella before moving on to our next part of the agenda.

This time, I was thankful to wander around and snap pictures, as well as loiter before dinner and talk to people. Unlike other smaller piazzas, the sense of open space in Piazza del Popolo is refreshing. Maybe it was the time of day, I do not know if it is busier in the afternoon, but either way the peace was nice.

Watching fellow classmates pose with one of the four lions around the obelisk, I snapped shots of the giant monument with a beautiful sky in the background. The golden hour settled onto the piazza, and we listened to a nearby musician and watched others wander as we did.

Before leaving for dinner, a cluster of us watched as nearby a saxophone player belted out a few tunes, little paying attention to him until a young child and his mother came by. She stopped the stroller and gave the boy a coin, intending for him to go put it in the man’s pile. However, the boy was enthralled by the music, and watched the man for a long time before almost tripping over to the case, and placing the coin on top. What was cute to watch was how he didn’t understand that the coins were not for playing with – he went back and forth between putting it down, and then picking it up again.

After going back and forth several times, with the mother laughing on the sidelines, the man finished his song and knelt down, letting the child stumble over to him and place the coin in his very hand. We all laughed and clapped, and may of us felt we wanted to contribute ourselves.

By the time this little show ended, the golden sun was setting over the churches at the far end of the piazza, and dinnertime was approaching. It lit up a few statues and facades, and many of us hurried across the road with our cameras before setting off for food. Though Campo di Fiori has some wonderful food and shops to offer, the atmosphere of the Piazza del Popolo is much more calming and refreshing, especially at that nice hour at the end of a day.

From Baroque to Modern - Tuesday 5/31

Bright and early and in our best Sunday clothes, we headed to the Vatican for a long morning of touring. When we arrived, we wandered the piazza for a few minutes, admiring the impressive structure in the morning light. When we realized it was time to meet our tour, we hurried off through security and checked our bags. We scored a special tour with the Vatican, getting to see the true layers of the church.

We broke into two groups and walked around the layers of the roman necropolis beneath the basilica, imagining the city as much larger, and full of Roman’s dead, a place that would have been above ground in its day. Though Constantine defied tradition by using this necropolis as the church’s foundation, covering many graves of the dead they were to honor, he believed the honor of St. Peter himself, who is believed to be buried there. Constantine decided to fight the uproar, believing the man’s honor great enough to warrant change. When a much later pope was trying to expand the size of the basilica’s basement, where the popes are buried, excavations revealed the tops of the necropolis, and archaeology began. There is believed to be a much larger section of the necropolis, maybe stretched all the way down to the river’s edge, though we cannot say. Supports became difficult while moving too far west, and the excavations stopped, seen as they are today. I wish I could have taken pictures – the inscriptions, faded wall paintings, and ancient brick were all amazing. Only 200 a day get to visit this layer, and it was amazing to see!

When we moved up, there were several places to hold mass, as well as pope burials. Small sections where the layers of altars had been were shown to us, starting with Constantine’s red wall and “trophy,” and then to the following two altars (in the second layer, below ground now), and Bernini’s baroque altar above, which is what we see today.

After the wonderful tour, we moved up into the main basilica, taking many photographs of the statues (Pieta included), the altar, and numerous wonderful paintings and ceilings. When we were all satisfied, many left, though a few of us decided to climb the dome.

Paying five Euros, Dan, Nicole, Katie, Shannon, and I all climbed the many series of spiraled staircases, slanted over the dome, behind many people to make our way to the top. The hike was not nearly as bad as I expected, though I did document the journey in the small stairwells, the higher ones most would consider claustrophobic and steep. Arriving at the bottom of the dome, we stopped to look down below, and take pictures of the blue structure as well as the mosaics that surrounded the top. The floor below as well as high up paintings were really something better seen from above, and could only be appreciated from a closer observance. We hiked up even steeper stairwells, soon arriving at a ring that rounded the outside of the dome’s upper level, just below the top cupola. It was possibly the most beautiful view of Rome. We recognized many of the places we had been with excitement, and loitered with the crowds until around one.

On our way down, we stopped for snacks at a terrace halfway up the climb, and refilled our water bottles soon after. When we made it to the bottom, everyone had left the Basilica, and we left on foot for campus, not too far away.

When we arrived, we changed out of our nice dresses and into comfortable clothes, a small group of us heading out to Rome’s modern art gallery. Many of us were willing to see art made after the Renaissance. We wandered for a while, and though I’ll spare you all the notes of artists I wrote down, much of my favorites from the museum can be seen in my visit III entry. I wrote down a lot of people I want to check out later.

Though we intended to stay longer, our feet soon tired. Heading back to campus, we relaxed for a bit of time before heading to dinner, back to Pomodorino, where Jackie had taken us for pasta just last week. I was dying once more for Pesto, though the special pasta menu did not have it this time. Settling once more for pizza, it was so filling I couldn’t even finish!

After dinner, many headed over to a local campus of another college, where Jackie’s friend was to meet us. As a high school teacher, she urged ten of her excitable male students to come along, wanting to meet American girls at a local bar. However, a few of us weren’t as excited about meeting over eager teenage boys, and took a series of night busses home. With Ryoko voiceless and myself tired, we got home in little time without much trouble.