Ciao tutti!
(Hello all!)
In some ways, it's hard to believe that I've only been in Rome for a few days. The days have been long and full of instruction, walking, exploring, and an attempt at name-recall. The jet-lag still has a hold on my ankle, but I'm shaking it off as hard as I can. I am living in a an apartment in Trastevere, which is an older district in Rome. So far, it is has been a great place to be. It's populated by a lot of younger people and has an underground art scene. It's about a 25 minute walk to the IES Center, or a 15 minute tram/bus ride. The walk is kind of nice--it's chilly outside, but it wakes me up and I get to see the Tiber River as I cross over it.
A few things have surprised me since I've been here (ok, well a lot of things, but these are some big ones):
1. All of the buildings here really are warm "Tuscan" hues. Facades of buildings are yellow, gold, orange, salmon, pink, and shades of red. I always though those structures were surrounded by corporate offices, but everything here has character--there is beauty in every corner.
2. There is no semblance of an organized road system here. All of the roads in my neighborhood are side streets and there are so many small, twisty roads, I don't know how people navigate. The roads are so unbelievably narrow, but drivers drive where they fit. On the larger roads, there aren't even lines on the road.
3. Apparently, I have a heavy Wisconsin accent. I kind of figured that I have a bit of a Midwestern tint to my voice, and once I was told by someone from Miami that the way I pronounce my a's is funny (apple, Antarctica, etc), but I have had three people from my program comment on how heavy my accent is. I don't know whether to be proud or feel like a hick.
4. There is so much American music here!
Last night, I went with a group of friends to this music hall called Big Mama, where a Doors coverband was playing. It was great. The lead singer was not overly talented; he began tipsy and was not very good, then knocked back a few drinks at intermission and got better. He may have been singing American songs, but he looked like an Italian, dressed like an Italian, and danced like a stereotypical Italian man who thinks he's got it. It was certainly an experience.
Today, we were all separated into groups and took a tour of a different part of Rome.
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| My first Italian meal. I was too exhausted to really look for something unique. |
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| This is the view from the top of a villa we explored yesterday. It was beautiful in all directions and makes you understand (to an extent) why people built hills to build estates on. |
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| Why yes, those are doll heads. Why do you look so surprised? |
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| This was an area where one the circuses was held. There is a fountain in the middle and a race track around the outside where chariots raced Ben-Hur style. |
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| It was also the plaza where Saint Agnes was martyred. She was murdered because she wanted to serve God instead of marrying. You can read her story here (I like to keep the sources classy): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Agnes |
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| The Pantheon |
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| Standing outside of the Pantheon. |
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