"When in Rome"

Last weekend I took my first trip outside of Viterbo to ROME! The day trip on friday was planned for all students interested, but a small group of us decided to stay the weekend. There are truly no words for the beauty and depth of history I experienced in Rome...but I will do my best to tell you about it.

The day began with a 2 hour train ride and a short metro trip to our first stop. The Colosseum was the first thing I saw walking up the stairs out of the metro station. I had another "I'm actually in Italy!!!" moment. It was so massive! It's really hard to believe that it was built more than 2,000 years ago and once had marble decoration.

Next we moved on to the Roman ruins between two of Rome's hills; Palatine and Capitoline. Walking through the porta gave me a breathtaking view of the layered ruins. Ruins in this valley date back to centuries BC to renaissance times. They are still finding more in this area. Temples that were turned into churches are in the best conditions. Temples that weren't were mostly destroyed. Pieces of columns lay everywhere. I saw what is believed to be the cremation site of Julius Ceasar...

Also that day I visited Trevi Fountain; the most beautiful fountain I have seen yet. The Pantheon is one of my favorite things I saw in Rome. The structure is amazing and seems almost perfect, like it hasn't changed all these years. Painter Raphael is buried inside.

Saturday was spent in Vatican City. This was a place I underestimated. St. Peter's Basilica is definately a sight to see. I could have spent hours looking at the artwork there. Michelangelo's famous Pietà rests there as well as St. Peter's tomb. The Piazza San Pietro is lined with statues of saints. (This is the area where people gather to listen to the Pope) The Vatican Museums hold paintings, sculptures, artifacts, etc. After walking through a maze of museums we ended up at the Sistine Chapel...marvelous. That evening I went to my first opera titled Tosca. We were in the nose-bleed section, but it was great to be there.

Rome is much busier than Viterbo and quite touristy, even this time of the year. It was nice to come back to quite Viterbo, but Rome is a must see!

Vorrei gelato, per favore!

I would like some gelato!...and more gelato! Adjusting from ice cream to gelato has been one of easiest and most enjoyable things yet! Gelato is made with milk instead of cream, so I can justify the healthier choice. While many gelaterias are not open during the winter months, a few provide the heavenly product year around. My favorite place in Viterbo is in this beautiful building that sadly used to be a McDonalds. While in Rome this past weekend a small group of us actually went three times in one day to get gelato. (we just had to try out all the local places!)

Some of my great flavors I've found so far are cioccolata, frio di latte, crema, limone, and fragola (strawberry). Most places offer many flavors, both fruity and sweet.

All this talk of gelato has me craving it! See ya!

Pizza or Pasta!

Food here has definately been an adventure so far. (especially not being able to communicate) The first italian meal I had was in the hotes we stayed for orientation. We were brought an omelet thing, pasta, bread, chicken and greenbeans, and a dessert similar to chocolate pudding...all in separate servings. We really weren't sure when the food would stop coming. It was very good, and we got a taste of what an italian meal should be like.

Typically breakfast is not elaborate and consists of a pastry (cornetto) and a caffe. This is not like the coffee I am used to. It's basically what we call an espresso; a shot of STONG coffee served in an itty-bitty cup. At cafes or bars (Italians call little restaurants bars and bars are called pubs) you walk in, order, and usually stand at the counter to drink the caffe to avoid a sitting fee. Stefano, the program director, says drinking caffe is more like a habbit and many people go in, drink, and leave on the way to wherever they are headed. Italians drink caffe through the evening hours. Cappuccino is good here too! I had my first real caffe today...it's definately a way to get going in the morning.

Lunch for me is usually a small sandwich or a pizza to go from one of the various bars. Most of the sandwiches I've had were pretty bland. The worst was the tomato and parmesian. Pizzas aren't the same either, but are very good. The first pizza I had came from this long rectangular pizza that the owner cut with scissors. The tomato sauce (if used) is used sparingly and many pizzas are made with olive oil instead of tomato sauce.

Dinner normally starts at around 7:30 or later and can last for a while. Dinner in Italy is not rushed and is meant for good food, good wine and good conversation. You have to ask for the bill (conto) because the waiter will not bring it to you. I have eaten at a few pizzarias and have loved it every time! The pizza are HUGE and usually overflow the plate. The crust is thin, but I still haven't been able to finish a whole one myself like you are supposed to. Some places serve house wine in a pitcher, and I have yet to find a wine I didn't like!

I will be taking a cuisine class and will hopefully learn how to prepare a full course meal. Because of the expense of eating out every meal, I have started to cook in the dorms. It's not as fun as eating out all the time...but it's food!

Viterbo

Ciao! It's already been 1 week since arriving in Viterbo! It's a smaller town of 60,000. A large portion of Viterbo is surrounded by 11th-13th century medieval walls. The streets are cobblestone and are lined with shops and cafes. There is so much history here that I haven't been able take it all in yet. Viterbo is called "City of the Popes" because popes came here to relax and enjoy the many hot springs near by. The pope between 1257 and 1281 actually lived here when it wasn't safe for him in Rome.

Entering the walls through portas (doors) seems to take me back in time. Life is slower here. Everything closes from about 1-4pm everyday for pausa pranzo (lunch break). People are rarely seen after 8pm except for the few nights a "night life" exists. There are many piazzas that each have a bell tower, church and fountain. Each are unique. There is a medieval part of town that I haven’t explored yet, but hope to do so soon!

The people are real friendly...except when driving. I've gone to an open air fruit and veggie market a few times already and will probably make that a habit. The first time I went I had picked out three apples and gave it to the man to weigh. He only put two on the scale and gave me a free one. Stefano, the program director here, said if we go to a stand or even into one of the cafes a few times they will remember us and what we like.

Buona sera!