Adventures and Sick Days

An update is long overdue, I know. I've been too busy making friends with some Italians, known as my bed and apartment walls. They are very friendly and have seen me at my worst. We don't even have to use words anymore. Last Sunday began this lovely, yet clingy relationship. I wish they would give me some breathing room. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to leave the apartment for more than 3 hours. I think my apartment was jealous of my love for the country outside these 4 walls and decided to pass the worst Italian cold onto me through my hotel walls in Pollino. Yes, inanimate objects can be this sneaky. All that aside, I do have some swollen tonsils and an all around sickly body, but between Advil, antibiotics, tea and honey, and some wonderfully nurturing friends, I am on the path to health. Hopefully this will be the last of my sick days. I've missed far too much school and opportunities to explore.

Last week provided me with more pleasant days, such as exploring ancient ruins under one of the oldest churches in Rome and traveling to Pollino in Southern Italy. One of my favorite parts of school in Rome is our close proximity to history and art. No need to look at pictures in books. In my Roman Emperors class, we took an excursion to San Crisogono Church.

 We went down these stairs into another time, the door even closed behind us. I thought we might not make it back out into 2010.

 

bones of a saint where put here, close to another object, such as a piece of cloth, to turn that object into a relic

Very old fresco

 Tomb of a poet or musician because the muses are depicted on the side.

Pirates?!

 

 Ruins from the Byzantine Empire

 Just hanging out with a 1500 year old pillar. A typical day in Rome.

i'm saving Pollino for when I can steal some of my friends' pictures. I'll add them in my next update!

When in Rome

This past weekend started off with a bit of an emergency when one of my roommates, Courtney, accidentally burst her eardrum with a Q tip. Nina, another of my roommates, and I rushed her to the hospital, and by rushed I mean waited 20 minutes for the next train to come. It proved to be stressful and frustrating with the language barrier and long wait. We watched NCIS in Italian on the waiting room TV and speculated the possibility of the man waiting with us being in the mafia. Ok, the latter was only me and my imagination, but he dressed the part and it looked like his hand injury was from punching someone. After almost 3 hours, the doctor saw Courtney for about 5 minutes to tell her the ear specialist was not there, so she had to come back the next morning, and they prescribed her some antibiotics. She’ll be fully healed in 2 months, but she can’t do much in the meantime. Kind of a downer, but better now than later since she’s a swimmer and goes back to school midseason.

We remedied the negative energy with some shopping on Via del Corso. Of course most stores were out of our price range, though we were not even on the most expensive street, but we had fun window shopping and discovering the more reasonably priced stores. I found a few gems that could equal a tragedy on my money situation if I did not have more self-control. I broke down a little in H&M, our last stop, and bought black pants a la Audrey Hepburn. How could I turn those down? Perfect for when I visit the gelateria from Roman Holiday. From H&M, we turned the corner and stumbled upon the perfect little ristorante, Hostaria Al Vantaggio. 

I enjoyed the most delicious meal yet of risotto and house herbs, while we were serenaded by an accordion player. Oh yeah and don’t forget the tiramisu and the nutella gelato from earlier in the day. Let me pause to enforce the stereotype of Italy’s food groups: gelato, pasta, pizza, and caprese (tomato/mozzarella combination). This could easily be all I eat for the next 3 months.

Sunday and yesterday after class were filled with tours of the Colosseo and Palantine Hill (According to Roman mythology, where Romulus killed his brother Remus and founded Rome. Also, the centermost of Rome's seven hills). Typical tourist activities, but these are necessary at least a few times. I know I’m a true Roman underneath my excited picture taking and childlike awe of the monuments. I feel so privileged to explore ancient ruins after class. When in Rome! We couldn’t find the tour for Palantine Hill, so guess who came in handy? Lonely Planet! Talked us the whole way through. I wish Palatine Hill was free, because I would come regularly to read a book or do homework. Maybe even write a book of historical fiction. It’s pretty inspiring. I can imagine emperors from ancient times inhabiting those immense, opulent halls.

I will leave you with 2 style tips I’ve picked up:

For men: Don’t be caught without your side bag/satchel/purse (which ever word you prefer), a bonus if it is designer, such as Gucci.

For women: Heels, preferably wedges with all the cobblestone here, are a must, even on your vespa.

Roman Desert

Our first Friday and what did we decide to do? Beach, you guessed it. I'm soaking up more sun here than I ever do in California. I adore it though. And in true Taylor style, this beach outing led to an adventure. We ended up on the wrong bus from the train station and discovered a new beach. The water and sand were gorgeous and the sky was dotted with the colorful sails of wind surfers. We practically rolled in the sand we were so happy with our fairytale discovery. It was only after playing in the waves that we realized the same wind that drew the wind surfers also wreaked havoc on us beach goers. The wind was so strong it blew sand everywhere, and i do mean everywhere: in our purses, on my camera, on my water bottle mouth piece, all over our towels, in our ears, in our eyes, in our hair (I just washed a sandbox down our shower drain), and etc. Think an 80 degree desert with an ocean and you've got this beach. The serenity and beauty of the beach won me over the wind though. I hope to visit again!

I would like to point out that I am sitting on my "towel" in this picture!

Other than the beach, I have been a diligent student, going to far more hours of class than I do at APU, 20 hours vs. 12. I'm promise I'm not complaining. I love my classes, although I already switched Political and Economic Systems for Renaissance and Baroque Art and I might switch Archeology for Roman Emperors. Italian is my favorite class so far. We went to the market at Campo di Fiori to learn the names of fruits, vegetables, meats, and spices and I thought I had gone to heaven. The food looks so wonderful and fresh. I just want to eat it all! I'm also easily sucked into the novelty items, such as lemon juice extractors and devices that make curly q's out of veggies. I resisted this time. Next time, maybe not.

The rest of my spare time has been spent having dinner parties at friend's apartments or with my Italian fling, Lonely Planet Rome. You think I'm joking, but I'm not. That travel guide is my new love interest. He knows what I need before I do and always has something intelligent to say. This weekend we might walk hand in hand on one of the walking tours he suggested, go shopping in vintage stores, and share gelato at the same gelateria seen in Roman Holiday. Romantic right? I'll let you know how it goes.

Last Day of Summer, First Day of School

I spent the last day of my summer doing what Californians do best, the beach. It is only a half hour train ride to the Tyrrhenian Sea from Rome, so the beach is closer than sitting through the LA traffic at home. We navigated the railways with no problems, but as soon as we left the train station we learned the hard way that sometimes it is best to follow the crowd. Everyone piled into a jam packed bus, but we decided to walk to beach, calling the Italians lazy. No, they are definitely smarter than us. The public beach is about a 35 minute walk (5 minute bus ride!) from the station. All the other beaches are private and require a fee to enter. I'm from California. I refuse to pay for the beach! We learned our lesson quickly and thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the sun on the black sand and playing in the water. Perfect way to end the summer!

Today I completed my first day of classes, Italian and Photography. This is not just vacation, I actually have to do some school work. There goes my dreamlike bubble. Pop. So strange to think the first day of my last year of school took place in Italy. No cougar walk, dodging the overflow of freshmen, or stopping to catch up with friends not seen all summer. It was almost like reverting back to freshman year. Everything and everyone is new.
I love my classes though! I can finally start learning this country's beautiful language and maybe have a decent conversation with the locals, the first step in blending in and pretending I'm Italian. Here's some key phrases and words I learned today:

What is your name?  --> Tu Come Ti Chiami?
My name is... --> Io mi chiamo...
How are you? --> Come stai?
I am very well. --> Sto molto bene.
Where do you come from? --> Tu di dove sei?
I am from... --> Io sono di...
Ci vediamo domani/presto --> See you tomorrow/soon

You should all practice some Italian along with me, so we can speak to each other when I get home. I'm determined to soak as much as I can in. I find the language so lovely.

Tomorrow: Italian. Wednesday: Italian, Politics and Economics of the EU, and Masterpieces of the Vatican. Thursday: Italian and Mediterranean Archeology. It's going to be a wonderful semester of classes.

Tivoli

Yesterday, we traveled to Tivoli, about an hours drive from Rome, and visited Villa d'Este. Filled with gorgeous frescoes and breathtaking gardens, the villa provided us with our first real taste of Rome's rich history.

 

Fountain of Neptune (part of it)

My kitty friend, Figaro

Gelato/Coffee break with friends: Izzy, Alli, Linh, and Chelsea

 

First expresso in Italy. So delicious (with half a packet of sugar)

Limone gelato (yes i got both)