1. There is NO carpet anywhere
2. Romans walk very slowly…they would never make it in NYC
3. Yogurt comes in packs of 2…and in flavors like kiwi, pineapple, and pear with cinnamon
4. There is no such thing as buying in bulk
5. Restaurants don’t start opening until 7 or 8pm for dinner
6. Slices of meat are paper thin, so is the crust of the pizza
7. Pizza at a “buy by the slice” place is cut by scissors in the amount that you ask for..you don’t buy by the slice
8. Driving is an expertise, if you aren’t a race car driver, you wouldn’t survive
9. Sons seem to walk with and with their arms around their fathers more often than mothers and daughters are seen together
10. Most stores are closed on Sundays
11. Stores also close for a couple hours during the day for lunch (usually from 1 or 2 then open up again around 4)
12. Carbs Carbs Carbs! Pasta pizza paninis more pasta…can’t forget the wine!
13. Markets are very popular and you can get usually anything you want for a cheap price
14. All the food is fresh, no preservatives
15. There is NO Mexican found anywhere in this country…if you want to buy a pack of tortillas it will run you 5-6 euro for a pack of 8
16. Milk is not refrigerated in the grocery store and is sold in a cardboard carton
17. The refrigerators in the supermarkets are kept at just slightly colder than room temperature
18. The grassy areas are meant for dogs and animals, not for people to sit and enjoy the space
19. NO ONE picks up after their dogs, so watch where you step =]
20. Bread slices are about half the size of a normal piece in the US
It has been a while since my last post, but there really isn’t anything new to report. We have had a lot of little projects the past couple of weeks, and because of this we were told not to travel. One Saturday we did take a day trip to Tivoli and visited Hadrians Villa and Villa d’Este. Both are beautiful gardens, but both very different from eachother. Villa d’Este is very structured and well groomed, where as, Hadrian’s Villa is let to grow whichever way it pleases. In order to get to Tivoli, we had to take a hour train ride out of Rome. The train just drops you off in the city and goes on its’ way. We had no idea how to get where we wanted, and used a mix of Italian, Spanish and English to get directions and instructions on taking a bus. We finally made it to our destinations and we were not disappointed. I have posted some pictures from both places below.
Hadrian's Villa
View from Hadrian's Villa
Reflection pool in Hadrian's Villa
Villa d'Este
Villa d'Este
Last weekend was Laura and Jacob’s 22nd birthday, so the weekend was full of parties and celebrations and gelato! We have successfully found our favorite gelato place with over 100 flavors (even soy flavors). I haven’t been disappointed yet! So far, my favorite combination (you get 3 flavors everytime you visit) is banana, coconut and caramel. And it is in the perfect spot, just far enough not to get it every time you crave a sweet, and close enough to walk to when you can’t seem to live without it.
On Monday, we travel to Sicily for our week long fieldtrip. Here we will be traveling to little cities and seeing what Italy has to offer. Apparently it is the home of the blood orange! I can’t wait to test this theory (more than once). Hopefully we will get to visit a orange grove! When we get back from this trip, Lindsay and Ian will be waiting for me in Roma! And then we take off for Milan and Venice and when we return, my mom and dad will be waiting for us! I can’t wait to see everyone and show this great city to them. It will be interesting to see the city through a ‘newbies’ eyes.
It has been rainy most of the time here, which makes it hard to go out and experience the city. We have to always remember to bring our umbrellas everywhere we go because it seems the days that we don’t bring them is when the rain comes, even if the weather says no chance of rain. The weather is so unpredictable over here. After spending my summer in California, where the weather never changes and them coming here where it is constantly changing is a big adjustment!
For one of our walking tours last week we visited St. Peters Basilica. What a structure! It is truly remarkable. Some of my favorite facts about this place was that because the building is so large, they have changed details in the building to make everything seem not so large, and like an airplane hanger. One example is that words that go around the dome, are 1/3 larger than the ones that are close to the ground, so they seem close the same size as the ones that are actually closer to us. The proportions on the top are also 1/3 larger than most of the other parts that are closer to the ground. How innovative! My favorite work of art here was Michelangelo's Pieta sculpture. He did this when he was 22, right before he did The David sculpture, that is held in Florence. It is stunning! Mary is made to look very large when compared to Jesus, because it is to seem as if she is holding a baby (babies are easy to carry, she isn't straining to carry this full grown man).
St. Peters
Dome of St. Peters
Michelangelo's Pieta
Also, tomorrow (Saturday March 6th), not only will I have already been here for 2 whole months, a bunch of friends and I are going to the AC Milan vs AS Roma soccer match! AND David Beckham will be playing! hopefully I can get some pictures!
More to come later, after all of my adventures!
Here are some more pictures I have accumulated over the last couple weeks...Enjoy!
Peace and Blessings
Meagan =]
Pantheon
Roofing of an abandoned building near my apartment
Trevi at night
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