Most of my posts have been about my adventures, experiences, and travels. This time I thought I'd give some insight into my life as an American in Rome trying to live comfortably while adapting to the Italian "slow living" lifestyle. I could get used to the tastes and beauty that the city has to offer, but here are my top five lingering questions of how the heck things work the way they do.
1. Does public transportation follow any path or schedule?
The 710 bus DOES NOT EXIST. Supposedly, this is the line that takes us from our apartment to school, but I've only ever seen it fly past me when I'm nowhere near a stop about two times so far. Walking is not a choice but my only mode of transportation. In addition, the tram is now under construction. At the beginning of our stay, it was perfect. We have a stop right at Piazza Dunant at the end of our street. Now, however, it's conveniently being dug up until March, so probably April or May, knowing Italian time! Instead, we have to walk to the Trastevere station about 10-15 minutes [past a delicious patisseria :) ] to catch the tram, which often sits there for another 10-15 minutes before taking us past the stops we frequent, being school, the bars, the restaurants, and downtown Roma.
2. Are Italians ever hungry for breakfast?
Apparently a typical Italian breakfast is a cappuccino and a brioche [like a croissant, donut, or tart]. I wake up starving every morning and cannot wrap my head around how in the world this fills people up until 12 or 1 when standard lunch time is here. My roommates and I, on the other hand, roll out of bed and fry up scrambled eggs, make some toast, pour a bowl of cereal, and chop up an apple just about every morning as we are ravenous. Cheerios and Frosted Flakes are expensive, but yogurt and muesli [granola] are pretty reasonable, which is good since it's a favorite of mine! Don't get me started on how much I have to pay for peanut butter to go with my apples [which I do get cheap from my fruit stand :) ].
Best discovery ever: Homebaked, the cafe near school selling American food. Jesse, the owner, and his wife kindly serve pancakes, eggs, and bacon. They also told me they'd make me oatmeal one of these days! I haven't ordered it yet, but soon I will be!
3. What exactly am I supposed to do between 12 and 3 each day?
Many businesses close from 12-3ish each day for a siesta, lunch, or whatever. I'm getting used to eating dinner at 8 or 9ish, but I'm still not able to sit myself down mid-afternoon. If I want to shop, places are closed. Walking around, it's pretty dead. If dinner is not until late, it's too early to eat lunch. I suppose I need to turn myself into a napper, but at the moment this is my running time.
4. Can I cook something without tomatoes and basil?
Don't get me wrong - I love everything caprese! I seriously need to branch out with my recipes, however, as I think I've eaten tomato and basil something every day since I've been here. On another note, I've drank wine just about every day, as well ;) Realistically, I've been doing pretty well cooking on my own, but nevertheless, I do consume a great deal of fresh mozzarella and pizza.
Speaking of cooking, I'm having a lot of fun learning to grocery shop & cook for myself. I've considered posting some of my favorite recipes on here, in case anyone is curious to follow/try them! Maybe I'll get around to it... Here are a few of my favorite eats so far:
- Chickpea Couscous [I used balsamic instead of white wine vinegar. Yum!]
- Zucchini Coins
- 5 Ingredient Cookies
- Pesto Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers
- Banana Pancakes
- One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
5. Where can I buy pants that don't stretch out?
I've become pretty accustomed to the whole washing machine situation sounding like an airplane taking off, lasting approximately two hours per load, almost chopping my fingers off when I open it to get my clothes out. What I still question is how in the world my jeans are supposed to fit me after being hung dry on a rack in my room. Dryers do not exist and therefore my pants do not shrink back to being tight once more. Thank God I packed belts or I would be rocking the pants on the ground look every day. My roommate and I have established that this is why we tend to see Italian girls wearing leggings/jeggings. I think I might need to break down and invest in a pair. That, or really indulge in all the carbs and chocolate readily available so that I can fill out my jeans properly. With walking everywhere, that would require a LOT of pasta and pastries, however!
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