My perky, optimistic post from yesterday turned out to be a bit premature. After I wrote that, I took a nap, woke up, and started crying. I think it was a combination of jet lag, heat, and the realization that I'm going to be very far from my comfort zone for the next three and a half months. Add that to not knowing anybody except for Alex and apparently you get tears.
I also didn't really feel like I was in Rome. Trastevere is a good neighborhood, but there's nothing distinctly Roman about it. It seems like it could be any city in Europe, if that makes sense. But today we did the touristy things with rest of the students in our program. We had a two hour bus tour during which, I'm afraid to say, most people fell asleep. I may or may not have nodded off. Don't judge me. We're still jet lagged and there was air conditioning. Enough said. After that we had a two hour long walking tour around the center of Rome. We saw the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and the Spanish Steps, along with several other gorgeous Bernini fountains and creations. What struck me the most was just how big all these things are. It's one thing to see pictures of the Pantheon. It's another experience to stand underneath those massive columns or under that enormous roof. I'm sure I felt the same way the average ancient Roman felt when he saw them: awe-struck and very, very small. Everything we saw today was absolutely beautiful. Now that I've seen some of the sights, I actually feel like I'm in the Eternal City, which is very nice. Tomorrow we head to the Roman Forum and the Coliseum for more tours. I'm definitely going back to explore once I get my bearings and some free time.
On the home/apartment front, we now have fans. Let me tell you, best 15-euro purchase ever. I actually feel sane in my room. Even though I still put on deodorant before bed just in case.
By the time we got back from the tours tonight it was 7:30, which meant my tummy was a'rumblin. Between the running around and the heat, I only managed to eat a banana for breakfast and chug a few gatorades on the super intense walk to the university. (More on that in a later post.) So we met up with the six girls who live on our floor, all of whom I really like, and we went out in search of sustenance. We passed up a few places because their menus were a little too pricey, but then we found a diamond in the rough. The restaurant we chose is just three or four blocks down and one to the right, and it is the best. The crazy middle-aged woman who ran the place was so charming in her own smack-you-on-the-head-when-it's-your-turn-to-order way. Hilarious. I finally got something I've been wanting for a long time: pizza margherita in Italy. It was like I had died and gone to mozzarella and marinara heaven. And the best part? Seventy five CENTS for a glass of really, really good chianti. I can't wait to take my parents and Ian there when they come visit.
And now for a few of my favorite pictures of the day:
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| Raphael's tomb in the Pantheon. |
bella!
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