We decided at some point in the days previous to stop in Bologna for a night before going back to Rome. We both were flying out on the 10th, and we'd already done most of what we wanted to do in Rome, so we figured a little detour wouldn't hurt. We got a ride from a traveling dad of two highschoolers who was SUCH a dad (really nice, concerned about making sure we got where we needed to go, etc) and he both picked us up from our apartment in Venice and dropped us off at the place in Bologna. There, we stayed with a couple in they're spare room. We really just dropped our things off before heading into the city center. The only things I wanted to do in Bologna were: go to the University of Bologna, which is the oldest university in Europe, and see this room where they dissected bodies for study, and walk the longest arcade in the world, that had 666 arches and led to St Luca's Church.
So we did those things! From the anatomy room: 
Some wicked wooden sculptures of men without skin holding up that... thing? Did professors have thrones here?
And the longest arcade in the world. 
Of course, by the time we got to the top, the church was closed and we couldn't reach the 666th arch. So upsetting! 
654! So close!
We also saw the church in the main plaza, which was very strange in terms of churches because... it hadn't been finished in marble. Only the bottom half had marble, the rest was just brick. I assume this is because they ran out of money during construction? But I can't be sure. 
They dropped us off at Termini, the main train station of Rome, went to Trastevere, where we would be staying, and got some groceries and gelato before dropping our things off at the apartment. We really didn't do anything for a few hours, but that night we decided to try walking along the river to another area where there were supposed to be some cool bars. We didn't actually get that far, because on the river, there was a big summer festival with lots of restaurants, bars, shops, and live music. 
It was really awesome, so we just walked around there drinking (a little too much) beer and getting kebab and watching music/the football game. I drank the first dark beer I have ever enjoyed there: a beer called Rossa that was so smooth and wonderful, and the only dark beer I've ever liked.
That night was laid back.
Day 13: July 8th
The next morning, we met with our rides from Bologna to Rome, two Italian college students on their way to a concert of the Black Keys. We drove through some gorgeous mountains!
Day 14: July 9th
With one day left, we decided to go to the Catacombs. The problem is, the main catacombs are apparently closed on Wednsedays. The other problem: the bus that goes to the catacombs only comes once every 40 minutes (supposedly, it was more like once an hour). Well, after walking to the bus station and seeing this awesome building grafitti...
we waited and waited for the bus, and finally made it to the San Sebastion catacombs. You can't take pictures inside, but it was really cool. We had a guided tour who told us about how the volcanic rock is easily carved until it hits air, how most of the graves had been robbed (even though they were mostly graves of poor Christians) and what the symbols on the walls meant. Most were symbols like the fish or the anchor, but one mossoleum was decorated with the swastika, which, remember, means life and death, because this was 2000 to 1500 years ago. There was also a ton of grafitti carved into the walls by ancient romans, and apparently these were all prayers. 
That night, we decided to hang out with the girl staying in the other room of the apartment with us, a German theatre major named Julia who we really got along well with. We walked to this sculpture she had really wanted to see, a giant bamboo structure you can actually walk up in (though it was closed off for some reason). 
After that, we got a last pasta dinner. Jeff tried to order Canoli instead of Cannolini, and we all said "Voltswagon" for a few minutes, laughing about the different pronunciation between English and German. Finally, we walked along that river party again, got some gelato, and took the tram home.
(This isn't in the catacombs, but just above it in the church).
After the tour, we walked around the church, got something to eat from the cafeteria, and walked a little ways up and down the Appia Antica (old road in Latin), seeing some of the ruins there.
Day 15: July 10th
This isn't really even a day that counts. Jeff woke up at 4:30am to call a taxi to the airport and catch his flight at 6:55am. I walked him out, and we said goodbye. I went back to sleep until about noon, packed up my stuff, and went to the train station to go to the airport. Everything went smoothly, and Joaquín came to pick me up.
I can't believe the trip is over! I loved Italy, particularly Florence and Venice, and I want to go back again soon! Thanks for reading!
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