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Published: January 24th 2010
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Despite being a full week into my study abroad experience, each new day in Rome feels just as exciting as the first. One of the great things about Rome is just how much there is to do and see. But the excitement isn't just in the monuments and museums.... there is so much to discover even in the most unlikely of places. Its exciting when you find that little hole in the wall restaurant that sells 3 euro pizzas or to step into a small Church that you realize was built several hundred years before the United States was even dreamed about. From what I've experienced so far, it seems like you could probably live here for hundreds of years and still never fully discover every one of these treasures. Over the last few days though I've had a fun time getting to feel like a little explorer as I've made my way through different parts of Rome
Earlier this week, some of my roommates and I walked around an area near the center of the city called the Jewish Ghetto. This area is sadly the place where the Jewish community of Rome was forced to live for
hundreds of years under religious persecution. Despite these extremely unfair and tragic circumstances, this community did a wonderful job of making the area their own by building a beautiful Synagogue and placing memorials all around the piazzas. While walking around some of the back alley-ways, my friends and I found ourselves at a dead end. Just before we were about to turn around to head back, we realized that right in front of us was this amazing building which looked exactly like the Colosseum! After a brief excitement over thinking we had just discovered the secret back view of the Colosseum, we learned from a guide book that it was actually the Theatre of Marcello (commissioned by Julius Caesar). While it may not have been as exciting of a find as we had hoped, how many times can you say, "oh I was just walking down an alleyway and happened to come upon some ancient ruins?" (:
Another adventure of mine this week was a trip to the Spanish Steps and shopping district. My first Rome exploration on my own, I was pretty excited to test out my map reading skills and to have the opportunity to linger
and take in the city at my own pace. I started my trip from our school and made my way along the Tiber River, passing the Castel Saint Angelo and Rome's Justice Building. Supposedly this building is called the Ugly Palace by locals because they consider the decoration a little over the top, but I thought it perfectly embodied the grandeur and awe of the European tradition.
After walking a little farther, I finally reached Via del Corso, the main street in the Spanish Step's Area. Besides the Spanish Steps themselves, this area is well known for housing the stores of every major fashion designer in the world. As I walked farther down the street and the stores became more and more high-end, I felt extremely self-conscious in my tennis shoes and Notre Dame sweatshirt. All the women were dressed in perfect little black dresses and expensive leather boots and the men were wearing either suits or leather jackets. While it was fun to walk around and admire the clothes in the window, being surrounded by such beautiful people was very humbling for me.
At the end of Via del Corso, I finally reached the Spanish
Steps. As to be expected, this area was absolutely packed with tourists. Groups were particularly crowded around the fountain area and also the very top of the steps. For those who aren't familiar with what this area is, the Spanish Steps are numerous flights of stairs that lead up to a church called the Trinita dei Monti. These stairs I guess are the longest and widest staircase in Rome.... my calves can attest to that (: There is also a beautiful fountain at the bottom which is shaped kind of like a boat.
One of my most favorite new experiences from this trip so far has been trying out new kinds of food and diving into the scary world of cooking. As a lover of anything involving cheese, bread, and tomato sauce, Rome has been a truly culinary paradise for me. All the ingredients are so fresh and flavorful. While of course there are many exceptions to this, Italian food kind of makes American food seem really processed and artificial. While I haven't eaten out too too much since I have gotten here, my few restaurant experiences have been absolutely phenomenal. On Friday of last week, one of
the Notre Dame coordinators took our group out for a real Italian meal. These meals consist of usually 4 or 5 courses with the first two courses (the primi and secondi) consisting of pasta or some other type of non-meat dish, then the third dish is meat, and it is ended with a dessert. Our group's first two dishes were risotto and a pasta with artichoke sauce which were both so good that I literally ate every bit off my plate. Unfortunately while eating the first two courses I didn't realize there would be a third so when the large plate of lamb chops with steamed potatoes came out my stomach had a mild panic attack but somehow I made it through (: Finally for dessert (there is always room for dessert) we had Tiramisu which was so light in texture but extremely rich in its coffee and chocolate flavor. I don't know that my stomach could handle eating like that every day but I really enjoyed the experience of participating in the multi-course, multi-hour, european dining tradition!
When we're not eating out, my roommates and I make dinner for each other. Mostly we make pasta and salad
but the other day my roommate Karla made some very delicious chicken and roasted vegetables. I've really enjoyed getting to help with these dinners and feel a little bit more like an adult as I do grocery shopping and cooking on my own. Its especially fun figuring out where is the best place to buy certain ingredients. While we have a big grocery store right by where we live, we also have a market close by as well. As time goes on I'm sure I'll have my favorite places to buy certain things and will use the grocery store more for quick pick ups. However, despite these lesson I'm discovering that I have so much to learn when it comes to cooking! I truly don't know how to make much more beyond pasta which I know after awhile will get pretty boring to eat. I think my new years resolution is going to be (in addition to getting more sleep) a commitment to being more adventurous in the kitchen and learning how to make a wide variety of dinners. If anyone has any recipes or helpful tips that they would be willing to share, I would be very grateful for any advice you may have!!!
This weekend 4 other girls and myself will all be traveling to Milan and Lake Como. I will be sure to post pictures and updates as soon as I get back! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and thanks for reading! Ciao!!!
Love,
Anne
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