Viva experiences are a great way to get to know our on-site leaders, as well as bond with fellow peers and explore the city and surrounding areas. There is a wide range of activities offered throughout the semester. Right after we arrived in late August, we had mandatory events that SAI “required”; these included the Welcome Aperitivo, the Ostia Antica Tour and Agriturismo lunch, and an Ancient Rome Tour.

A view of some of the ruins in Ostia Antica.

The very first event, the Welcome Aperitivo, covered basic instructions as well as helpful information, which was then followed by a light dinner and getting to know our peers. The following day, we met at a piazza and loaded onto a charter bus and headed off to Ostia Antica for a guided tour. After we learned about the ruins, we made our way to a “farm restaurant”. This restaurant was run by the homeowners and their family. It was the definition of an Italian style dinner! The food was absolutely amazing! The following event, the tour of Ancient Rome, was the following weekend. We met at the piazza and made our way into the heart of Rome. We walked around for a few hours and ended up at the Spanish Steps – where the tour ended. It was such a fun and informative guided tour. These were the only ones we were “required” to go to, but I have decided that I am going to try to go to all of the provided experiences.

The view of some of Rome from our painting activity!

So far, I have been to four out of the five offered activities to date. These include kayaking at Lake Albano, watercolor painting at Giardino degli Aranci, visiting Frascati, and cycling down the Appia Antica. Kayaking on the lake was an amazing experience. It was hot, but not too hot, and the water at the far end of the lake was incredibly clear! After we had lunch, we went to the “beach area” and spent the afternoon next to the lake.

The lake we were able to kayak and swim in.

For the painting activity, we were taught how to effectively paint with watercolors, then used the fantastic view of the city of Rome as an inspiration. We sipped wine and munched on pizza while enjoying nature and the views.

The following Viva experience was a day trip to Frascati, a town outside of Rome where they are known for their vineyards and wine making. We had a guided tour of the city and a quick lunch. We walked around for a few before getting back on the bus and heading towards a vineyard, where we explored the cellars that were used to store the wine (and sometimes hide it), the building that used to make it, and of course tasted the wine they produce!

A garden located above the San Callisto Catacombs.

The latest activity I did was an electric bike tour down the Appia Antica, also known as the Roman Appian Way, the ancient paved road to Rome. It was overcast with a few drizzles, but otherwise very pleasant! The cobblestone in some parts of the road was pretty dangerous to ride the bikes over, since they were very uneven. We rode for about 3 hours, then returned the bikes and ate at one of the oldest restaurants in Rome. After lunch, we headed back towards the Appian Way, where we got in line to go into the San Callisto Catacombs. It was a very impressive tunnelway system that the Romans had built!

There are many other activities that will be hosted later in the semester, but these are just some of what SAI offers. Personally, I will be planning trips to other places around these activities, as everyone that studies with SAI has already “paid” for the trips. A benefit of attending these Viva experiences is that there is no out-of-pocket money needed for participation (unless you would like to get souvenirs or drinks). Since this cost is automatically included in our final bill, it only makes sense for everyone to participate – however, I completely understand the want to explore Europe, and not just stay in Italy.

Written by: Alyssa, Fall 2024 Rome student from Tennessee Tech University