2/1/15

Yesterday we went to the Roman countryside to a farm/restaurant on Lake Martignano. It is a volcanic lake that used to be one of the major lakes supplying water to the aqueducts of Rome. There we had a traditional Italian multi-course meal with meats and cheeses, lasagna, potatoes, chicken and a tart for dessert. The food was so good! Then we took a tour of the farm and got to see how to make cheese! We tasted freshly made ricotta which was great. FYI ricotta means twice cooked, which is how they make it! It was partly rainy and sunny all day, the weather actually reminded me of Michigan weather, it can never make up what it wants to do! Haha all together, it was a great day. We got home around 6pm and took a quick nap around 9 pm to prepare for a night out. During the day, you would never expect this bar and the places next to it to be anything more than just run down shacks, but at night the whole street came alive with people, lights and music. It was nothing like back home! We went to a bar called Cayote and danced all night. It was a blast and we got home at 5 am!
Today I think my roommates and I are going to lay low and explore the winding roads and the park behind our apartment. There is also a huge farmers market at Circo Massimo which is said to have great produce and food.

1/30/15

So, today we went to the Basilica of St. Paul or Basilica de San Paulo. It is only a 5 minute walk from our school and its gorgeous, inside and out. We had no idea that one of the most important basilicas in Rome was only a few minutes away! It is so windy outside, trees were falling and we had to run to the sides of the buildings so we didn't get hit with any flying debris! While I was at the Basilica of St. Paul my roommates had gone grocery shopping. So later I had to go by myself and it was a little nerve wracking. I was able to get mostly everything I needed without any trouble. However, I didn't know that when buying fruit and veggies you need to weigh it at a special counter first before heading to the checkout line. So, the cashier wasn't very happy with me when he had to go back to the fruits and do it for me.. oh well. Its difficult not knowing Italian when we go out, my roommate said its almost like being handicapped haha. It's definitely going to take some time. But our Italian classes start on Monday so hopefully I'll learn fast!

Ciao!

Ciao!

Ciao! It's been such a whirlwind traveling here to Rome and attempting to settle into Roman life. It's my third day here, but it feels like I've been here much longer. While I'm here, I'll be taking classes through Arcadia University, but the classes will take place at the local Roman University called Roma Tre (The third university to be established in Rome).  The first day, we were taken to lunch and dinner where we had a night bus tour of the Circo Massimo, Piramide, and the Aventine Hill which looked over all of Rome which was breathtaking. Then we had our first real Italian pizza! It was amaaazing! To help us get over our jet lag, they kept us up until 11pm so at that point I had been up for over 24 hours! The next day, we were woken up at 9 am and made our own way to a little cafe close to our apartment and had a classic cappuccino and croissant and sat through our orientation. That night, my 5 roommates and I went on an adventure and rode the metro for the first time! I'm sure we looked a little ridiculous, 6 American girls that didn't know what we were doing, but we survived! We took a night stroll past the Colosseum which was all lit up. Then we made our way to the Trevi Fountain, which unfortunately is under construction until approximately July :( so we won't be able to see it in all its glory. Rome at night is just magical, there are no other words.
Today we had another early start and had to take our Italian placement tests. I think I made a mistake in telling them that I could speak Spanish because they now think I can understand Italian because they're so similar.. haha I'll find out on Monday!  We also went to the Testaccio market, which is full of vendors that have been there for generations. There was SO much fresh fruit and veggies as well as clothing, shoes and handbags (I just bought one that I love).  I bough a panini for 3 euro and it was AMAZING.

Well this is my first real blog, so it can only get better from here right?

Ciao!