The long semester break was coming up, and all her friends and fellow students were planning their vacations away from the University. The Fine Arts Department at Yale would still be functioning but there would be very few staff around. Rachel realised, considering her present state of loneliness, that the long semester break would be very difficult for her. 

So she decided to be proactive. She dialled her local travel agent and booked a return flight to Rome. She had been there many years bef...