9AM Archeology on-site class At Monte Testaccio (Testaccio meaning brick), which is about 10/15 minutes from our house. This hill was once flat but used as a dump it turned into a hill. It is made out of broken pottery fragments of old pots from the Spaniards and Africans. In these pots they shipped over Spanish olive oil, beans, wine, nuts, etc. The heavy pots were shipped from Spain to Rome with some reaching a heavy 70l worth of goods. Why didn't they recycle the pots? Due to the smell, they couldn't clean them well enough to take it out so they just had them for a one time use.
9PM The big buzz around campus is the 'Harry Potter bar' -"Have you had the Hermione shot?" or "What's this about chocolate shots...like,,the shot glass is edible?" Luckily, our friend Tyler was sweet enough to bring us to these two bars and a few more..on a Wednesday night..
Chocolate shots: Shot glasses made out of chocolate. You choose from a variety of drinks- naughty names (You can translate them if your heart desires to): Punto-G, Amplesso, Succhiotto, Sveltina..
After the sweetest shot I have ever tasted, we went to the 'Harry Potter Bar' that is called Almula. The Harry Potter shot lights on fire...and it didn't taste too bad. However, I had Voldemort shot...lets just say it included a few different vodkas and tabasco sauce.
AUR offers a group called Res grads who help AUR students and study abroad'ers to join in on activities (a lot are free) such as free cooking lessons at their apartment, neighborhood tours, day trips, movie nights..you name it. It is a group of three awesome graduates who are a lot of fun to hang out with. Every Monday they have a free cooking lesson that gets filled up within two hours after they post it. The school thinks that they are only having 11 students each time, but the Res Grads allowed 22 this past Monday for Tuscan Ribolita soup. Students BYOW, but for €3 wine and free cooking lesson/dinner...so worth it!
Tuscan Ribolita is a bean soup. We cut up onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and poured in, dried thyme, bay leaves, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, white beans, and eventually noodles.
Libby, Nicole, Daniella and I enjoyed gelato after downtown Trastevere where we realized is poppin on Monday nights for locals.
It was a tasty night, mingling with AUR study abroad students and making dinner.
BAD
Tried to be nice and take Libby to the Colo because my ticket (and I took one of my classmate's for her) was good for the next day. We slept in.. then I forgot my ticket when we were right in front of the place...went back to grab it...... NOTE to self: Doors close to go in at 4pm everyday. Sorry Libby
GOOD
Due to the fact that we were starvin marvins and cranky chesters, we went downtown Trestevere and found a fantastic (cheaper) place to eat.. shared a pizza 'pie,' split 1liter of vino. Service was decent, the waitresses seemed not to like Americans even though they had semi-translated menus.
BAD
We were ready to enjoy our night with friends but they didn't call us/reply via text to go out after we were supposed to start the eventful night at our place. Libby and I decided to have our own fun- so I brought out the deck of cards and we attempted to play Italian card games...which failed so we ended up playing an endless game of war. Realizing it was 430AM in the morning (Libby and I sure know how to have fun on our own eh?) I washed up and rushed into my bed. Of course Libby wasn't ready and told me to get up...and at the same time our friends (the ones from Venice who live on our block) texted me and asked to meet them in Testaccio...(assuming we were already out). "Alright......lets go!" ...I changed back into my clothes, and we booked it across the Tiber to a bar (On the Rox) in Testaccio that is 10 minutes away (we made it in 7).
GOOD
It was 4:45AM, and they were getting ready to close. Libby bought a drink and we socialized outside with our friends...also meeting new ones. The new guys we met study at either John Cabot or transferred from there and now go to AUR. Cool thing about them is that they are from all over the world and have lived in Rome for quite some time now. (side note- AWESOME sandwich place right next to On The Rox: €5 for anything and everything on your panini).
The next night, we met that group of guys out, along with the neighbor girls. We had a blast with a new group socializing and dancing until the sun came up the next morning and the lady told Libby and one of the friends to, "Andare dentro, รจ troppopresto la mattina."
Wednesday Night: Made a fantastic dinner with roommate Daniella and her friend Marie, and Libby
-Lentils, lemon-crusted fish, eggplant, and veggies....finishing it off with random chocolate candies.
-that night watched Gladiator
Thursday morning class is always a treat (Art of Rome) at 9am.
-Wasn't able to go on the first tram that (drove) up due to the capacity.. Slightly embarrassed. This caused me to miss the classmate I was going to the foreign 'meeting spot' with and my bus I was supposed to take.. Luckily, we both made it to the bar on time.
-Got 5/5 on my quiz:)
-Put €12 ticket which is valid for 30 hours in the Coliseum, Forums, and Palatine Hill. We weren't able to see the Palatine Hill due to having only three hours of class...and I woosed out due to my back sweating from the hot sun (not complaining..it was nice), and I was tired.
-Going in the Coliseum was breathtaking and so worth the ticket price.... *Only if you have some sort of tour guide, podcast, info sheet.. * Obviously my art teacher is intelligent enough to explain the structure and history of it..
Examples of Questions I learned
What is the colo made out of?
Why is a big chunk of it missing?
What are all those holes doing there?
What was this made for?
Who sat where, or did it not matter?
No class Tuesdays-FINALLY worked out....as in went for a twenty minute run to Testaccio and around that neighborhood. Libby's business class got cancelled so we went and explored. We went to the 'peephole' that is relevantly close to our apartment. The peephole itself was worth looking through...but then we found a park Piazza Fiorenzo Fiorentini that had an amazing outlook (if only the trees weren't bare..how more green and full the scenery would've looked), orange trees, and a nice, calm atmosphere. ...This called for a little photo-shoot.
Waking up to 'just another day' this Monday meant: I was sweating in bed around 7AM when the sunrise was shining in my room...but then the blue skies started to change to blue-gray (guess I should write grey since I'm in Europe..) It started drizzling- just our luck for our rescheduled on-sight class for Roman Empire and Republic Era. We bought a janky umbrella for €3 from a man. It was wet, rainy, cold, and we were supposed to take notes...didn't seem fair.
-Met at a temple which was dedicated to Hercules. (I pass this temple a few times a week...finally has significance)
-Walked and stopped in the middle of Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus) which is in between the Palatine and Aventine Hill. It is a little under 1/2 a mile where they held chariot races, and circuses. Because it is Rome's largest venue, it is used as not only a public park but a venue for big events.
After a long night upgrading my ipod touch so I can get apps, 6AM came quickly. I have no trust in the 170 bus to the termini... once again- it didn't show! Luckily since it was closer to 6-630, more buses/trams were going (compared to 530am for Florence the other week). Libby and I walked up our block, thinking maybe we'll take the tram to the end and figure out how to get to the termini from there...but then I saw the H Termini bus. the H bus's stop wasn't for a few blocks down, but I decided to take one for the team- I went in the middle of the street, put my hand out to stop the bus. He stopped for us and let us on...thank goodness!! We did Bus2Laps which is a student travel group that travels all throughout Europe. We met at the termini and didn't see too many familiar faces. We took the double decker coach bus for 7 hours. SEVEN HOURS. I must have slept for at least four because it wasn't that bad.
We met three girls who go to AUR and live on our block as well. They were a blast! Right when we got off, we bought masks (they are cheaper then inside the carnival and on the island). Carnevale di Venezia starts two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Fat Tuesday/Martedi Grasso. The entire carnival is about being someone you aren't. We saw avatars, gremlins, princes, duchesses, lego costumes, flipflops- anything and everything! If you aren't into body paint and corsets, masks are common as well. The mask levels all distinction. This was a time for people to travel to Venice from all over, and do things that are usually frowned upon. Masks hide your identity. It was/is a time for the poor to feel/dress like the richest of the rich, and the rich to dress like peasants. My language teacher told us that Carnevale has no limits- insults included.
We traveled by 'water bus' which we decided is equivalent to a tram (water taxis-buses, gondolas-Mercede private taxis). It was so exciting traveling to the main land by boat, seeing the exciting activity on shore, trying to understand Venice is a region on stilts..crazy.
When we got off our water bus, the land was crowded with people dressed in their costumes.
HIGHLIGHTS and WHAT NOTS:
-trying caldo vino (rosso). It was delicious.
-taking pictures with all the extravagant costumes...and the odd ones
-walking around with open bottles (not that you can't do that in Rome, it just amazes me how care free the day was).
-buying gifts for friends and families (magnet bottle openers, sweatshirts)
-walking on the Rialto Bridge and not understanding the hoopplah about it until now. It's 1/4 bridges in Venice but this is the oldest bridge across the canal and was the dividing line for San Marco and San Polo. It went through some rough times but was completed in 1591 and is still standing today.
-walking through the streets with all the shops (Gucci, Prada, CHANEL, D&G etc).
-meeting 'Uncle Mark.' This guy showed us around for about 2 hours with his nephew, his nephew's friend Roman, and two German girls. He was obnoxious and made sure that people knew we were American tourists......he showed us some 'famous spots' such as a bar called Harry's where Giuseppe Cipriani bartended (someone tell me who he is..), Bruno Magli where Oj Simpson bought his shoes to kill and other places, such as a small shop to re-glue a kid's mask that he broke, a wine bar so some girls could use the bathroom (but he had to buy a drink for them to do so-he kept the glass..and gave it to us so now we have one wine glass in our apartment). When he brought us to St. Mark's Square we separated.
-Eating pizza
-eating more pizza at a sit down
-St. Mark's Square (where the carnival is centered around).
-Meeting Jen, Erin, and Nathalie
-Taking the water bus back at night- looking at the lights around us, feeling so blessed that I was able to experience such an event.
-HAD A BEAUTIFUL DAY. Last weekend of the carnival was a great idea!
The way back Pros+ and Cons-
-Almost went back to Florence instead of Rome. There were two Bus2Alps buses that came from Rome and Florence. We all got wristbands- Rome's were royal blue, Florence's were green/blue. Thank goodness I noticed the unfamiliar people and noticed the other color difference of the wristbands...otherwise we would have gone to Florence!
-Couldn't sleep comfortably.. don't think I slept at all on the way back.
+ My ipod soothed my tension. Shout out to Adele and Rick Steve' Podcast
-no wifi
-/+ Got back right around 5:30AM..did't have issues finding a bus to get back home... sad thing was, we wanted to go to bed but the sun was up and people were setting up for the market.
Exactly 24 hours for a 8 hour event. Money spent, lessons learned..worth it.
Museum On-sight for Art class This morning I went to Rome's center for the first time to meet my class at the Mcdonald's in Piazza della Repubblica (Republic Square) before heading over to the National Museum of Rome (Museo Nazionale Romano). I ordered a cappuccino e paneal cioccolato for €1,80 (seems like a deal to me). Now, this Mcdonald's had an upstairs, and a downstairs with three different sections to order- one for breakfast drinks and pastries (Seemed to me like a bakery not a Mickey's), then around the corner you could order everything else (including kiwi on a stick). The ticket for the museum was €7 and good for three days in three other museums besides that one.
Inside, my class sat down and sketched in [this] room for a good 45 minutes. Half the class was sketching on one side and vis versa. We discussed the difference in the fresco painting itself- the different types of birds, fruits, and trees. Why is this four-walled painting so significant? Turns out it was for the rich family to enjoy during the summer. Yes- you think I meant winter or when the garden lacked the liveliness.. But it happens to be that they were so spoiled that they wanted to enjoy their garden (filled with eternity/pomegranates) comfortably and enjoyably inside instead of in person in the hot days.
During this class, I learned how to interpret which era a statue was made. Statues were first sculpted as soldiers of perfect-booty'd men...eventually they put heads of either the rich, emperors, or important men...on these stiff statues. Soon they developed the 'naturale look' which consisted of statues with a bent knee, more comfortable looking than a guard look. However, they still had still-staring off-to-nothing faces on these types of bodies. Later artists began to put facial expressions on the statues. Naked and perfectly chizzled men began to have face wrinkles..or at least more related looking faces compared to the perfect cheekbone, noses, and jawline. I learned how to detect who the statue is by the features (thick and curly hair like Apollo or big ears for Augustus) All marble statues are sadly not guaranteed (90% of the time) the original work. They were all bronze once but either at the time they needed the bronze for i.e war tools. Artists duplicated with marble but would revise the original because bronze is able to stand up by itself but marble needs assistence in balance (this is why there's a leg leaning against a tree stump most of the time).
When I came back, my roommates Libby and Daniella decided to walk around because it was such a beautiful day out. We discovered downtown Trestevere. Ate at a famous known cannoli cafe called Ciuri Ciuri Got €10 black boots until I find my perfect pair. Went to school to print off my ticket for CARNEVALE DI VENEZIA
Few hours later, Libby and I went to Via Del Corso to find a shop. <Unsuccessful. HOWEVER we walked to the end and found Roma Carnevale-kid style. We were pleasantly surprised to see horses, jesters, clowns on stilts, mini muppet/puppet shows etc. As I was goo goo eyed over a magician throwing his fire balls in the air Romans were goo-goo eyed over us.. These guys wanted to take a picture of us...on Libbys phone (how does that work?)
As we laughed about it on our escape back to meet our roommate Nicole for dinner I made eye contact w a group of five bello itianos. When i told lib to turn around and check them out they just happened to look back. Tehehe ohmygoodness. Looks weren't enough for two of them as they turned around to catch up to us. ...of course they didn't know English but bene, si, grazie, and non capisco works enough for us.. They ended up taking us to gelateria bar. Feeding us vini bianco e chips (potatoe but I wasn't able to try cuz lib was being hand fed them!), bruschetta, and stomach egg and mayo no crust sandwiches. They were 21 and 23- artists who fell in love too quickly. As i was relaxed, enjoying this comical experience and a free glass of wine, I look over at Libby and she is giving me the death glare. Her man wanted to live back in the states with her and the storlies..., "molto rapido" Libby told him. Ha! Even though we were already late for our dinner plans we still had an excuse to ditch these new lovers. As they walked us down a ways on via del corso, they held out hands and tried to kiss us. Every. Minute. And every block. Eeeugh this is what we see around but molto rapido boys- no bene!
Libby insisted on us getting drinks after that..so we went to Trinity College right off Del Corso. It was a nice bar inside where we enjoyed a few drinks and tacos! mmmmm:)
Later that night, we went out with our roommate Nicole and her Italian friend (we are convinced he is way too into himself). He is some type of promotor/studying law/model who knows the hotspots... That I give him credit. Him and his friend bought us drinks at a bar somewhere near piazza....(?) After that- we went to an exclusive italian club called La Cabala http://www.hdo.it/flash/index_en.htm (check it out). There were entertainers walking around, live dj's singing the whole time...it was great- because we ditched the guys and danced just us girls. At the end of the night, we went downstairs where only about 7 people were surrounding a piano singing. There were two bartenders and three butler guys standing in spots- near the bar, near a door, and near the exit. Long story short- we ended up staying at leaasst another hour, dancing and singing like it was a wedding! Libby requested Miley Cyrus's party in the USA song but instead the guy started singing Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA...which we belted.
The road right before the school's gates leads you down a road to a T. If you take a left, there are green gates that lead you up steep beautiful brick steps where the library resides. You can enjoy studying outside off the balcony in the sun or shade- or you have the option to go inside. Since there is snow and 'watch for ice spot' signs all over the place with crime tape sectioned off in some spots, I decided to play it safe and go inside...hoping it would be warmer as well. The 'library' is nothing like back at home. Ok, I take that back...it has books. And a computer room. But the whole 'shhh' factor doesn't apply here. At least, for the telephone lady and the workers. CIAO BELLLAAAA!! AHAHAJAJAHAJSKD. "Silenzio per favore...oy oy oy."
Missed the bus after school, so Libby and I decided to grab some pizza at the local hot spot. The pesto pizza was actually broccoli, which greased down my hand onto my coach wristlet :'( ..talk about smelling your food a while after:/ yuck....
Got off the tram, winked at the local Kosher butchers on my block, and continued down the road to Simply Market, buying fresh veggies and what not- adding up to €54.96...lets just say the roomies and I are eating away our love tomorrow for Vday.
Watching the sun rise, my eyelids were setting. It was almost 7:00AM and I had been up for 20hours already. [Following is what I wrote down while waiting for the train to take off],
'The more passengers that hoped on the train, the more they are lookin like creeps. A man just sat the aisle across from me and is making the most annoying sounds that consist of yawns and sighs; yeah dude- I am tired myself but keep it to yourself. His entire body is faced towards me like I am a tv or something, he won't stop looking at me... ...This is getting ridiculous. ...Libby is so focused on her 'Pet Salon' phone game that she isn't seeing this weirdo and my head about to blow off because of him.. ..I just did a stare down with this guy and used a bit*hy face so he would get the hint..he looked away...OH but only in the window so he can see our reflection..real clever sir, I know you're still looking.'
I tried to sleep but couldn't because it was cold and I was not comfortable in the seats. When I finally doze off, the train man tapped my feet and told me to take them off the other seat :(
3 hours later... (11AMish)
YAY! Florence... now what?! Bathroom in a smelly place off the street sounded legitimate. Waking aimlessy we bought a map (best idea ever).
knowing that we were going to be there for 11 hours, I needed to stay awake! We went to Gran Caffe' San Marco and bought a cute little blackberry/strawberry tart with a delicious cappuccino..standing because we didn't want to pay to sit down.
Off in the streets we went! BAM the markets with leather everywhere! "I did not bring enough money...," were one of my first thoughts. As we walked through the streets, we realized Florence is more spread out with less people...but don't worry- the sewer smell is always present somewhere in all Italian cities. "WHERE IS DAVID- MUST SEE HIM" ...but stopped in Le Focaccine that was a nefty little restaurant that had pizza over the counter and then in built-in bowls a ton of ingredients for hot sandwiches (?) Unsure- regret not ordering that. I was hungry and I dont know Italian= ordered a delicious slice of pizza.
€6,50 at Galleria dell'Accaemia plus €10 for audio (well worth it) (unable to take photos folks, sorry.) -Hall of Colossus was originally an art school where students would re-plaster sculptors. The first room consisted of religious paintings (many Madonna/Mary themed paintings) and in the center was Giambologna's original plaster copy of the Rape of the Sabines. In two of my courses (Art of Rome and Rome's Empire) I have learned about the beginning of Rome so that sculpture was really cool to see. It has no focus point and is intended for the viewer to walk around it. -Besides Michelangelo's David, there are 5 other sculptors by him, including the four unfinished prisoners and St. Matthew. -the prisoners didn't really have a meaning except for the reoccurring theme which is constant mediation on the question of salvation through faith and free will. There was David, standing 16 feet high of marble in front of me. 3 years of hard work and determination, Michelangelo was not the first to start on this sculpture, in fact, two artists tried but gave up, thinking it was impossible, and the other gave up because there were strikes in the marble. Michelangelo's David's left arm broke off at one point, but I was unable to see the crack line. This was truly amazing to see. -Other rooms were filled with oil based paintings referring to the Holy Trinity and other 13th Century religious works. -Room of heads and statues: There was a room filled with all the teachers of the Art school, along with replicated statues in which the students plastered. Naturally I bought a few overpriced gift cards to send home to my Grandpa and parents.
Libby walking up!
Walking through the streets, a lot of the stores have little narrow doors that you have to walk down five or six steep steps before you are in the shop. So cool. Because it was cold and windy we decided to pick up a Nutella cioccolato caldo with heavy whipped cream at Gelateria Le Parigine. Getting closer and closer to The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, orginally called The Duomo (which means cathedral in Italian). We made €8 to walk up the 463 steps to the top. Again, well worth it. On our way up, we were able to walk around the side of inside the dome (on the top-super high up). SO PRETTY. I would enjoy going to a Sunday mass here for sureeee.
Markets
No dissing Roma, but I think I enjoyed this market more. Rome has more to offer- but if you want a leather purse, wallet, jacket, boots, gloves, or cashmere scarves, hats, and Michelangelo's david ornaments ;)... go to Florence.
Libby bought a chestnut leather jacket and I got two leather gloves (gift for mama), and a leather teal purse.
Enjoyed the Local Legendary burger (ingreds from all over Italia)
The weather was getting windier, we were getting hungry. Settled for burgers and fries at the Hard Rock Cafe Firenze. We had a wonderful waitress and an enjoyable time people watching in this newly built, enormous high end Hard Rock. Way Home: Train was delayed..kind of scary. Eventful ride back because we sat next to two girls who are also studying abroad and some weird Italian guys. Arrived around 12:45AM, guessed to take the n18 bus which led us to a familiar place. We walked to our n8 bus and did not enjoy the stinky homeless woman who smoked on the bus (but enjoyed the tipsy Italians laughing about it).
It was another rainy day in Roma...luckily the locals knew how to react with rain compared to the recent snowfalls. However, rain didn't stop owners from closing their bars and small shops. Libby and I were stuck inside like kittens scared of the rain. It was a little boring and since all our friends and housemates left for the weekend, we decided to book train tickets to Florence, Italy for the next day. Unsure of what we were doing, we ventured into the rain to find an 'internet cafe' or 'internet laundromat' to print our tickets (rumor has it you are able to show your ticket via phone if it is a smartphone/android but we didn't want to take the chance). Getting lost (it tends to be a recurring theme), Libby wanted to give up and instead meet our friends downtown for dinner. Knowing we were within a few blocks away, we kept searching. I called the place but someone isn't too helpful when you have no idea what they are saying and vis-versa, "Ok, the man said the street and it was Via San-something. Lets look for that. He also said by the police station I think." We knew nothing about a police station or headquarters near by but we took the chance at a Via San Francesco and we arrived at Il Massello where we paid for internet and printing. We went back to our apartment and decided to chef up some homemade pizza, then went out to an AUR 'Welcome (back) Party' at On The Rox, which is a restaurant/bar in Tescaccio. We thought it would be worth it to call a cab, but Google informed us it was in Trestevere, only a ten minute walk away! By this time, the rain turned into sticky snow and it was a beautiful night walk. The party special was that On The Rox was only housing in AUR students with a door special of €5 shot at the door and a free drink of your choice. Arriving with a few nerves, we realized that it was not going to be an excluded night. Libby and I planned on staying for an hour or two because we had to get up at 5AM for the bus to catch the train...however, we met some new friends and ended up walking back around 2:30AM. "No time to sleep, lets just research Florence for sights," and that we did. At 5:05AM we left our apartment to walk to the bus stop that was supposed to take us to the termini after 15 stops. Waiting with an Italian man who was also going there (He didn't know ANY English), we were all getting antsy. 5:30AM, our bus never showed. 5:43 no bus. 5:48 no bus. "Taxi rip you off, no bene." The man did not want us to get a taxi because it would be overpriced since we're Americans but without another choice, we flagged one down. Watching the seconds go by, we had 13 minutes before our train took off. The taxi driver was driving soooo slow due to the weather (It wasn't bad-but here in Italy, a leaf falling from a tree will stop traffic for hours). With 3 minutes to spare, we ran out of the taxi (He asked for a ridiculous amount of €30 but we gave him €20), asked a policeman where our train was....and we watched it take off along with €17.40 (My ticket price). We could have either given up, got a taxi to bring us back home, or buy one for the next hour. Purchasing another ticket, Libby bought a horrible blueberry muffin (that she thought was chocolate-chip for a long time) an a coke that was only filled up half way. In conclusion, the workers were either not good/nice morning people, or didn't like Americans.
Finally, we jumped on the train at 6:35AM, and waited for it to leave at 7:12.
My Art class was onsight this morning at the Capitoline Museum. My art teacher knows his stuff so it was awesome to have a guide walking through. Sometimes people in art museums walk through rooms that have the paintings on the wall and ceilings; maybe they think it's nothing important...it was crazy to think that I was in one room- just like that for nearly 40minutes.
First photo reflects the Beginning of Rome, Aeneas and Trojan War. Goes on with the Story of Romulus and Remus story- this painting shows the twins being breast-fed by the she-wolf.
Romulus and Remus fight, Romulus defeating his brother, and becoming the first king of Rome. Soon, the Roman men realize they need women, and the Rape of the Sabines come into play, expanding Rome's population.
Because this is an art class, we learned how to identify salient details in paintings and on sculptures. Marcus Aurelius on a horse. People might look at him and think 'just another roman on a horse.' But I learned to study the entire statue- His entire body dominates the horse, he is wearing a toga- no armor, and his right hand is out to (the people), while his left hand seems like it once held something. Also, he is made out of bronze- and in the 2nd century, they easily would have used bronze for tools to fight- why did they keep this, and in such good shape?
THE TREVI FOUNTAIN
That night I went to Fontana di Trevi for the first time. It was a beautiful night- not too chilly...and apparently every tourist within Rome's perimeter thought the same thing. Turning the corner, the lights were shining through the many water fountains and under the rocks above the pool of water. Yes, indeed, I thought of the Lizzie McGuire movie and the crazy guide in the movie (Miss Ungermeyer).
It was so crowded but we were lucky to snag a few shots where no one besides us or the fountain itself was in it. Since I know where the Trevi is located now, I will be making frequent trips to it. I
hear it's beautiful in the middle of the night when the lights are on, and no one is around. My intial goal was to get Gelato (just like the movie) but it was chilly and we had dinner plans in an hour. However, I did pay €5 to take a picture with a man.
Went shopping today. Bought green pants. Two shirts that are the same but different colors. And boots. Been looking for black leather ones for everyday use...still no luck. However, I was captured by the gray (I guess I should spell it 'grey' since I'm in Europe..[fun fact of the day]) suede with wooden thick heel. YAY for school outfits!
Hoping the euro will equivalent to the dollar soon..'
Help: Even the the shirts smell good, none of the clothes got clean when they through the washer. Is there some trick to these italian washers?
Italian Fun Fact of the Day: Italy holds the Guinness record for having the most elevators.
There are elevators in small grocery stores, shopping malls, AUR, markets, and obviously in bigger stores. Elevators are everywhere.
Market: You want new shoes for €8? Go to the Sunday market. You need a €1 juice squeezer, go to the market. If you need a scissors, gift for a friend, makeup, or a new jacket, you'll find it plus more at the big open-air market on Via Portuense. My purchases were a little lame for the first time going (due to my indecisive trait), but I came home with a much needed scissors(€1), fuzzy socks (€1), a snake bracelet(€5), black scarf(€2.50), and sunglasses(€2.50).
Weather updates: Its a bit chilly outside- definitely need a scarf, hat, and gloves to stay comfortable. There is ice on the sidewalks and streets, but nothing too bad- at least, that's what I thought. The school was advised to cancel all classes tomorrow (Monday) because of the weather conditions. It is supposed to snow again tomorrow but...really? A snow-day? Psh, I wish LAX was this scared of the cold, icy air.
With this being said, I went out for the Superbowl (Due to the time difference, the game didn't start until 1:30AM). A pint of beer and peanuts in a bar with 1:1 Italians:Americans worked for me! Halftime show=whoot. Hot eye candy of an Italian sitting a table able...double whoot.
Last but not least- Libby and I made a wonderful dinner of crusted chicken, potatoes, and green beans.
Rome hasn't had a snowfall like it did the past two days since 1986, and it was obvious when I was shopping downtown at Vis Del Corso.
How the Romans reacted to snow:
Drove slow/normal or not at all (a lot fewer cars out)
Trams gave up
People didn't go to work (shops/bars were closed)
They acted like tourists in a sense that everyone was outside taking pictures of the statues/building and each other. I saw a couple take a photo of a big puddle by itself and one with them leaning over it.
Covered head to toe with winter gear. The snow was melted on the streets..
Snow ball fights everywhere
People didn't know how to shovel off snow off of their cars.
Moon boots. 'nuff said
Guys wore sweatpants
umbrellas in hands (prepared for anouther snowfall with clear skies?)
[Heard] the trams and buses are stopped/stopped working because of the weather. The italians HIDE when anything but sunshine arises.
-'Snowing for the first time in twenty years' yay....made history.......
Libby and I couldn't take being trapped in our room anymore so we ventured out to Le Fate. It's a wonderful small restaurant that includes a student special for €10, which includes your choice of vino; bianco o rosa, bruschetta, main course of a pasta dish, and dessert. Every night of the week is different.
Waking up after only four hours of sleep came way too fast this morning. All my roommates (except Libby) had 9 AM class- and we were all late (don't worry mom and dad- only a few minutes...because of the bus). I went to my one and only class of the day: Art of Rome (3 hour class on Thursdays). The professor is a younger guy- just awesome. I wasn't even bored going through the syllabus (mad props to his humor and creativity). With an hour left of class, we took the Bus44 to 'downtown Rome' and walked to the 3 meeting points for on-sight days. Obviously Rome is known for its statues and buildings- with this class I will be able to learn about it's history more in depth...I love it and am so happy that I decided not to drop it (I dropped my [only tuesday class] Intro to International Business).
later on
One of the first nights we met three Italians, one named Gianluigi. He speaks enough English to have conversations with us about anything..we just have to speak slow. Tonight he showed us to a REAL Italian Restaurant called PAPPAMMI' (His friend and his friend's wife own the restaurant). They gave us a huge hallow bread ball that you snack on in between courses etc. We ate a antipasti capionatore (appetizer sampler), which had a bowl of breads (flat, buns, and sliced) with a bowl of different cut up meats soaked in olive oil. They also present the table with a basket of the meat and a knife if you're interested in more. A bowl of baked beans, a plate of sliced cheese with balsamic vinegar on it, and a (honey?) sweet soft cheese for dipping.
The second course was battered vegetables with a type of sweet/sour sauce....yumm. This course also included a type of cheesy potato.
In Italy, people top off their dinner with coffee or liquor. We had a tiny shot glass of Nocino (unrip walnuts steamed with liquor) for digesting.
We then went to a Wine Bar called Ferro E Ghisa (translated it means iron & cast ironing-why? I have no idea..) It was a griglieria(grill)/wine bar/pizzeria. It was very modern/high class looking. Blue lights, glass windows and entrance. Good looking Italians. Libby and I were most certainly the only Americans.
Got to talk to my computer tonight (mom/dad- please fix your computer or Skype so I can see your pretty faces and hear your voices)
9 AM class to start my Wednesday. Seemed like 7:45 (so early!). Used the pulley to open the shades, and there was no sun. Only clouds and rain. It was a rushed morning and the slow buses didn't help speed things up. The class was in the auditorium, filled with 50 students and two teachers. The German teacher had an unappetizing German accent (speaking everything that came across his mind), and an Italian woman- whose voice was like a mosquito. The class was getting boring, taking notes from the profs with thick accents in a dark, cold room, when all I was thinking about was making homemade pizzeria that night but with 45 minutes left, we walked further up the alley (the auditorium isn't inside the campus but along the alley/street right next to it). We walked up then BAM. A huge building with an attached fountain dedicated to Pope Paul V on the Janiculum, which overlooks the city. Peering out into the panoramic view was a collaboration of snowy mountains behind the old shiny tops of churches and houses.
Second day of my Italian language course. Learned small talk (Where are you from/What do you study etc.)
Later I added a class- Rome Republic and Empire. The professor was a young man, who really knew his stuff (I mean, I hope so if he's teaching us the subject right..?) I really enjoyed the class. Was intrigued the entire time, Only negative is the book for the class is €40 and the building sold out of them. They told me to buy it on my kindle app. I don't have a kindle.
Dinner: Libby and I bought a three pack of margarita pizza (sauce and cheese) and added our own toppings- more sauce, mushrooms, cheese, basil, and onions. MMM
Cold rainy day brings out cranky Italianos. First encounter with an old man who spot-jacked my seat on the tram, then later cut in front of me when walking.
Went out to the bars for karaoke night, realized I can only fool Americans when I say I'm Italian.
We did Bus2Laps which is a student travel group that travels all throughout Europe. We met at the termini and didn't see too many familiar faces. We took the double decker coach bus for 7 hours. SEVEN HOURS. I must have slept for at least four because it wasn't that bad.
After going around in the museum for hours on end, Libby headed back as Daniella and I went to another museum that was part of the ticket. This museum had a lot of cool things outside and I would've enjoyed going to it during the day. Even though we went until it closed (7:45), it was beautiful and I enjoyed my time with Daniella. 
During this class, I learned how to interpret which era a statue was made. Statues were first sculpted as soldiers of perfect-booty'd men...eventually they put heads of either the rich, emperors, or important men...on these stiff statues. Soon they developed the 'naturale look' which consisted of statues with a bent knee, more comfortable looking than a guard look. However, they still had still-staring off-to-nothing faces on these types of bodies. Later artists began to put facial expressions on the statues. Naked and perfectly chizzled men began to have face wrinkles..or at least more related looking faces compared to the perfect cheekbone, noses, and jawline.
Few hours later, Libby and I went to Via Del Corso to find a shop. <Unsuccessful. HOWEVER we walked to the end and found Roma Carnevale-kid style. We were pleasantly surprised to see horses, jesters, clowns on stilts, mini muppet/puppet shows etc. As I was goo goo eyed over a magician throwing his fire balls in the air Romans were goo-goo eyed over us.. These guys wanted to take a picture of us...on Libbys phone (how does that work?) 
3 hours later... (11AMish)
First photo reflects the Beginning of Rome, Aeneas and Trojan War. Goes on with the Story of Romulus and Remus story- this painting shows the twins being breast-fed by the she-wolf. 
Because this is an art class, we learned how to identify salient details in paintings and on sculptures. Marcus Aurelius on a horse. People might look at him and think 'just another roman on a horse.' But I learned to study the entire statue- His entire body dominates the horse, he is wearing a toga- no armor, and his right hand is out to (the people), while his left hand seems like it once held something. Also, he is made out of bronze- and in the 2nd century, they easily would have used bronze for tools to fight- why did they keep this, and in such good shape?
That night I went to Fontana di Trevi for the first time. It was a beautiful night- not too chilly...and apparently every tourist within Rome's perimeter thought the same thing. Turning the corner, the lights were shining through the many water fountains and under the rocks above the pool of water. Yes, indeed, I thought of the Lizzie McGuire movie and the crazy guide in the movie (Miss Ungermeyer).
9 AM class to start my Wednesday. Seemed like 7:45 (so early!). Used the pulley to open the shades, and there was no sun. Only clouds and rain. It was a rushed morning and the slow buses didn't help speed things up. The class was in the auditorium, filled with 50 students and two teachers. The German teacher had an unappetizing German accent (speaking everything that came across his mind), and an Italian woman- whose voice was like a mosquito. The class was getting boring, taking notes from the profs with thick accents in a dark, cold room, when all I was thinking about was making homemade pizzeria that night but with 45 minutes left, we walked further up the alley (the auditorium isn't inside the campus but along the alley/street right next to it). We walked up then BAM. A huge building with an attached fountain dedicated to Pope Paul V on the Janiculum, which overlooks the city. Peering out into the panoramic view was a collaboration of snowy mountains behind the old shiny tops of churches and houses.
