This quote by Giuseppe Verdi truly makes sense after only 4 days in such a beautiful place. Fair warning, this is a long post, as I have fit so much into so little time. Once classes start things will slow down a bit, but for now, I'm trying to see it all. Enjoy!
Ciao! It has now been 4 days since my arrival in Italy, and I’m pretty sure that my head is still spinning. I have seen many incredible things that have fulfilled my romanticized vision of Rome, while other things have taken me by surprise. Here’s a rundown of everything that has happened so far:
Let’s start with the plane ride. I woke up at 5:45 Monday morning to head to Midway and fly to Dulles. At Dulles I had to exit the secure area, get my checked bag, check in at the United desk, and then go back through security. The very nice woman at the United desk let my bag go through, even though it was 2 pounds over the weight limit and should have resulted in a $100 fee. A major thank you goes out to the kind stranger who recognized the nervous girl traveling by herself and cut her a break. I waited around Dulles for hours until anyone else from UMD showed up and we finally got to board the flight. Then we sat on the plane for around half an hour, just anxious to finally take off. Let me tell you, my hour and a half flight to Dulles was more spacious than the little seat I was stuck in for 8 hours. Those rows are so close together that I could barely cross my legs. After dinner I tried every position imaginable to sleep in, yet none seemed comfy. Every time I got comfortable my arm fell asleep, my leg fell asleep, my butt fell asleep. Basically, there was no good solution, resulting in very little sleep. I was in a daze when they woke us up for a light breakfast before landing. I was still in a daze as I flew through customs (managing to do things correctly when the man was speaking in Italian- how this worked out I still don’t know) and met people from AUR (American University of Rome) who put me on a shuttle to my apartment. But enough about the plane, here’s all of the details on Rome…
I adore my apartment. It is apparently a little smaller than other people’s, but to me it is my perfect little Italian home. There is a spiral marble staircase up to my apartment on the fourth floor, no elevator. There is a balcony that connects from the living room directly to my room, and an entire wall made up of closets. It’s freezing cold because the apartment is only heated 6 hours a day, but otherwise it is an adorable place!
On to the interesting things…
Day 1: I decided to explore and try to find some things in my neighborhood, Monte Verde. I set out, confident that I could find my way, only to get very lost, but that is part of the experience! I have now perfected the art of “Scuzi, dove ___” (Excuse me, where is) and “Parla inglese?” (Do you speak English?), two staple phrases for the semester. I wandered my way around Monte Verde with some other people, stopping in a few stores and a grocery store. My first purchase while abroad: a bottle of white wine. I explored the area a little more, enjoying a decent panini for lunch and some yummy pizza for dinner. Carbs are a Roman’s best friend.
Day 2: While I have come here to feel like an Italian, for right now, I’m content with being a tourist. The second day was filled with “tourist-y” things. I started my day with a cappuccino. You all know, I am not a fan of coffee, so this was more for the experience than anything else. I sat at a bar, sipped my cappuccino, and checked it off my to-do list. After this I ventured into the heart city using the tram line, a very fast and convenient means of getting there. First stop: Campo di Fiori, a large, open-air market and shopping area with fruit vendors, pasta stands, and more. Before shopping we went to a small bakery/pizzeria called Roscioli where I had undoubtedly some of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten. It was a ham and artichoke pizza and, while I don’t like artichokes from a can, I finally understand why the Italians love them. They are a national tradition and fresh artichokes are well worth their claim-to-fame. The pizza was pure heaven for a “foodie” like me. After that we headed back to Campo for a little shopping and conversing with an Italian Jewish man who ripped us off on pasta. Lesson learned: if fresh pasta costs 2 or 3 dollars, don’t pay 5 for dried pasta. The next stop was the Pantheon, which I admittedly set off to find not knowing at all what it was. We came upon the back of a building that looked incredibly old and remarked, “I wonder what this is?” Low and behold the Pantheon, a beautiful old church that is massive and fantastic inside and out. After this we found our way to the Fontana di Trevi, the top place that I wanted to see. It is nothing short of breathtaking. I got to throw my coin in and make a wish (didn’t I tell you I wanted to be a typical Roman tourist!). A couple also got engaged in front of the fountain while we were there- how cute! We did a little more exploring and then I went home and made my first dinner in the kitchen- pasta and salad- simple, yet totally Italian!
Day 3: It was our day for orientation, so I went to AUR in the morning to get my ID card, cell phone, and permit to stay from the Italian police (a required procedure to stay in the country for so long). After that I took the afternoon to relax before heading back to school for our orientation meeting. The school is between two of Rome’s biggest parks and I explored the larger of the two, Villa Pamphili, before going to the school. After the orientation there was a walking tour of the city with the AUR ResGrads, students at the school who help coordinate social events. This was one of the most incredible things that I have done while I’ve been here. We left the school and walked through Trastevere, the part of Rome that houses AUR. This is the place that you dream about when you picture little cobblestone streets and mom ‘n pop restaurants that delight any food-lover. After Trastevere we took the tram into the center of the city. We passed the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument (aka "The Wedding Cake"), a large monument that is grand and breath-taking. We also walked by the ruins of the castle where Julius Cesar was stabbed. There is so much history in one little city, it would blow your mind. Without a doubt, the best part of the night was walking up to the Coliseum, glowing in the distance in all of its grandeur. There are no words to describe it. A short bus ride landed 8 of us back in Trastevere, where we enjoyed a bottle of wine and a four-course meal for under 20 euros. Perfecto!
Day 4: Today was by far the longest day, yet one of the greatest. We decided to truly embrace the tourist within, constantly clicking our cameras and stopping to document every street, corner, and shop. After a walk up to AUR and through Trastevere, we headed back into the center of the city and back to Campo di Fiori to enjoy what a friend’s sister said was the best Panini in the world. I have to say, there is nothing better than fresh mozzarella or eating it while sitting in the middle of the market at the base of a statue. It was, yet again, perfecto! We then proceeded to the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument again, and made our way to the Coliseum. We opted for a tour so that we could learn a little bit about the history of it, as well as neighboring areas. Our tour guide, Gastone, was a friendly little Italian man with an adorable accent and charming comedic timing. The inside of the Coliseum is absolutely stunning. For something so massive to have been built without modern technology absolutely amazes me. After the Coliseum our tour continued in the nearby Palatino, an ancient palace built when Rome was established. Some of the original marble at this site is still there, while much has been “recycled” by the Vatican. The rarest and most valuable purple marble is now the pride and joy of the Vatican, who find “taken” or “stolen” too harsh a word. What an interesting part of Roman history this tour provided. It started to rain after this so we made our way back to Trastevere on foot (accidently, I assure you, we didn’t realize how far we’d gone and by then it was too late to take a shuttle there). A tram back to Monte Verde (where I live), left us near a grocery store where we bought fresh pasta to make for dinner. I have to say, I think I was born to be Italian. Everyone in the kitchen, cooking together, laughing together, then eating delicious food and sipping tasty wine- it’s my idea of a perfect night! Top that all of with out-of-this world stracciatella gelato (rich vanilla base with smooth chocolate pieces- more delicate than American chocolate chips- scattered throughout) from the gelateria/bakery down the street, and you have an ideal day in Rome.
Whew! If you think you are exhausted just reading all of that, imagine how it feels to have walked it all. Between the countless miles I’ve walked and the major jetlag I’m dealing with (I’m fine during the day but night-time is a challenge), it has been an exhausting week! I’m happy to have gotten in so much before classes begin on Monday, and I’m looking forward to hopefully a more relaxing weekend. My feet could certainly use is!
Buona sera!
