Rome’s numerous landmarks are the main things that many tourists go to see, and they don’t disappoint. One of the first to see is the Trevi Fountain. One of the largest in the world, it was built in the 1700’s as part of a competition. There is a superstition that if you throw a coin into the fountain, you will be guaranteed to return to Rome. Every day, approximately 3000 Euros a day are thrown into the fountain, which is donated to help the needy living in the city.

The Colosseum, arguably Rome’s most famous landmark, is a truly impressive site. This enormous stadium was used by the Romans to stage the infamous gladiator battles, as well as mock animal hunts and other such events. Although much of the building has been ruined by earthquakes and stone-robbers, you can still imagine what it would have been like some 2000 years ago, with some seats and the arena floor partially restored. Due to its ruined nature, you can now also see under where the arena floor would have been. Here there are remnants of the area where the animals were kept, before they were raised up by mechanisms through trap doors to be slaughtered by the gladiators.

Of course, no trip to Rome would be complete without a visit to the Vatican, and after going through a mini customs (it’s a separate country from Italy), you can have a look around the Pope’s house. This is where a large majority of Rome’s art is kept, and the amount there is staggering. The Sistine Chapel is a definite highlight, and something that everyone should see once.

There really is so much to do in Rome. Whether you wander the side streets, eat at one of its many little restaurants, shop in anything from tacky souvenir shops to Gucci, or take in the sights and sounds on offer, just make sure you “do as the Romans do.”

Tom Roberts

My first week in Bologna was certainly eventful. I arrived on a sunny September afternoon with nowhere to live, a very poor grasp of the Italian language and discovered my hotel was in the city’s red-light district.

I had a brief spell in the prison-like youth hostel where I was more traumatised by the lack of plug sockets than the bugs lurking in the horrid shower rooms. “Where will I straighten my hair?” I asked the bemused hostel-manager. It was hard not to cry when my parents left me for Venice, but fortunately I found an apartment in the ‘centro storico’ within a few days.

Not one to bypass any drama, I found myself keeling over one evening and being rushed to hospital as I hadn’t yet discovered the Italian obsession with Nutella, a potentially life threatening mistake for for someone with a nut allergy!

That, however, was seven weeks ago and I can happily say that in that time I have well and truly fallen in love with Bologna. The vibrant streets, beautifully grand architecture and the thousands of students make it the perfect city to study in; although studying doesn’t seem to take priority. To call the university system here laid-back would be an understatement. ERASMUS students in Bologna tend to get away with an awful amount of skipping lectures. They remind us that we don’t need to attend classes and can choose when (and if) we sit exams and what we’re assessed on. It’s hard not to gloat to friends back home, stuck in the library with the stress of final year.

ERASMUS is central to university life here, and also the city, with the constant stream of trips and welcome parties in some of the city’s best bars and clubs. I’ll never forget turning up for ‘wine-tasting’. We were given bottles of eight different types of wine; needless to say we were rather worse for wear by midday. You can’t get away from the alcohol here. Or the lecherous old men with leathery skin, wearing stonewash denim and snakeskin shoes. Men who try to be cool by elaborately proclaiming how tired they are from the ‘Ibiza closing weekend’.

The obligatory skanky student club is Kinki located under the famous due torri, which is surprisingly good (if you don’t mind the cheese). Although waking up after a night of European measures to find ‘Kinki’ stamped on your hand isn’t. A personal favourite place of mine is Cabala cafe, which has fabulous decor and a huge selection of yummy cocktails. Mambo, an art gallery, is brilliant for aperitivo. Amongst the sophisticated Italians enjoying the art, it’s pretty easy to spot the student nursing a solitary drink with three plates of food piled high.

When student life involves watching the sun go down over beautiful Bologna with free wine in a mountain top castle there really isn’t much left to complain about!