Monday Fun-Day

Gianna and I have no class on Mondays. After sitting inside doing some homework and walking down the street to do some grocery shopping, we had to get out and about for an adventure. I can confidently say that yesterday was the BEST day I've had in Rome so far. We stumbled upon amazing architecture, cute cobblestone streets, handmade goods, and perfect memories. 

We walked to the Trastevere tram/bus station on purpose so that we could pass by the patisserie, but it was closed :( Typical Italian time. Continuing on, we hopped on tram line 8 and got off in Piazza Venezia, the center of ancient Rome. 

Our first sight was the Pantheon! We were very curious about what happens on rainy days, such as today, since the occulus is open. Apparently there are 20 holes in the floor to drain the water that enters the building, which resembles a clock and has a great deal of Pagan symbolism. I'm slightly addicted to Angels and Demons. Though rebuilt, it's still one of the oldest standing buildings in this city erected as a symbol of Roman victories.

When we walked up, there was some sort of protest outside! I have no idea what they were shouting or fighting, but we were still able to enter, so we snuck in the other side.

Continuing on, we followed the signs to Piazza Navona. It's such a beautiful place - gorgeous fountain and statue in the center with people ambling around peacefully. 

Just off of Piazza Navona seems to be a great place to eat! All the restaurants are competing for business so they have some great prices on tasty looking food. I may have to return and report back on what I find ;)

We ventured into a church nearby, which was apparently the German ["tedesco"] church in the city of Rome, San Maria dell'Anima [Saint Maria of the Soul]. Part of the wall was being restored and the difference in the vibrance of the painting they were working on compared to the other dusty ones were incredible! 

Continuing on our journey, we stumbled upon "Made" - a cupcake "laboratory"!

The treats inside were picture perfect. My chocolate cookie sandwich with vanilla cream tasted heavenly.

Gianna was feelin' the love with her lip shaped sugar cookie ;)

They were definitely perfecting everything about baking. Maybe I need to work there to learn all the tricks of the trade before I open up my own bakery one day.

The shop was so interesting to me as it was extremely modern in contrast to the other shops nearby. My favorite one we saw had this little old man working on a lamp inside. On the wall were tons of ornately made keyholes. We stood outside the window for a while staring before we realized we'd creep him out if we stood there any longer... Other places we strolled into had Venitian masks, handmade jewelry, and India scarves. 

Not sure where we were, we suddenly turned a corner and in front of us was Castel San Angelo and St. Peter's Basilica. How incredible is it that we got lost and found that!?

So much to take in. I couldn't have asked for better weather, a more intricate city, or a more adventurous companion to spend my time with.  

It was time for a cappuccino. The place we discovered had drinks for 8 euros which came with a free buffet of food! Since we weren't hungry, we just had the coffee, but we'll definitely have to go back! It was worth paying more for the cappuccino to sit down and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere. 

[Thanks to Gianna for capturing this moment :) ]

On the way home we got lost and wandered a little more. We passed by these huge open doors and saw this inside.

The two of us didn't even have to say a word - we both doubled back and walked in. It seemed to be a government building and the courtyard was empty, but hey, they left it open for us to discover, right?

Possibly one of my most exciting finds of the day is actually thanks to Gianna. She saw this boulangerie with delicious looking bread and the cutest interior. It was definitely a FRENCH bakery! [Boulangerie is the French term for it, after all.] I was in heaven. We couldn't resist and picked up a loaf of foccaccia with tomatoes for an appetizer before dinner. 

Stopping in a few more shops, we finally found our way back to Piazza Venezia. I found the cutest black dress at one adorable boutique, but it broke my heart that it was too big :( 

We came home for some wine & the foccaccia bread while making a delicious dinner. French bakers do not disappoint! It was an experiment, but my roasted red pepper and pesto chicken turned out very well! 

Lingering Questions

So I've been in Rome for about three weeks now. Some days it feels as though I've been here longer and other times I feel like a dumb American who just stepped off that long plane ride. And I always feel like May 14 is coming way too fast! 

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

[I've personally made them -  these dishes aren't from a restaurant!] 

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! 

Tivoli

On Friday, we went on a small day trip to Tivoli, a "hidden gem" just outside Roma. Mark found this article on the 10 Amazing Places to See Near Rome, and this one made the cut. We bought our train tickets for 2,60 euros each way. I am officially a proud member of the Trenitalia company with my own loyalty code and all. The website was so confusing to figure out, I think I deserve it! We'll see if they actually send my card in the mail. 

We rolled out of bed, made it successfully on to the H bus to Termini station, and waited for the boys to show up. After a not so surprising delay, we boarded the train and headed out.

Part way through we discovered that Tivoli was not in fact the destination of the train, but simply a stop along the way. Mark spotted the sign for the station about an hour later, however, so we woke up Alec and Alayna and got off. There was a bar to grab a cappuccino and brioche, but no bathrooms, which was unfortunate for us all.

First on our list to see was Villa Gregoriana with a beautiful and famous waterfall. We had seen it from the train but were so excited to hike to it and get a closer look. We arrived at the gates, however, to a sign informing us that the villa was closed the months of January and February. Awesome.

Moving on, we wound around a road until we saw the waterfall from up top, though it would have been beautiful to explore the villa. 

We also found a sign pointing us in the direction of some churches we thought we'd check out. Instead of making it into any little chapels, we found ourselves climbing up a road which promptly turned into a hiking trail. This was my favorite part of the day! The day was absolutely perfect - sunny, warm, and clear. Sitting at the top we could overlook Italian country side. We think we could spot St. Peter's basilica rising up out of Rome out in the distance among the hills and houses. I seriously could have packed a lunch and book and sat up there all day. I also seriously considered asking the rock climbers ascending to the peak if I could have a try...

Up at the top of the hill we also met Jeff, an American man who recently retired and is spending three months travelling Italy on his own. He was an interesting man who has seen and done some cool things here. I admire him for his adventure, but can't help thinking he'd be sort of lonely. I suppose it takes a certain kind of person and the right frame of mind.

We climbed back down and headed in for some lunch. This happened when we stopped to take in the view.

We stumbled upon this little pizzeria/patisseria and this lovely lady we befriended. Her English was ten times better than our Italian! She taught us two words - "destra" and "sinistra" mean "right" and "left". It's actually come in handy already. She was so sweet and curious about where we were from, and was touched that we thought her native town of Tivoli was gorgeous.

She gave us directions to Villa d'Este and off we went. It was definitely worth the 8 euros to get in! [Though we could have gotten half off if we were European students, not American :( ] 

We spent a little time in the villa going and found a room that used to be a secret entrance to the garden. I wish it still was because the little kid inside of me still gets so excited at the idea of hidden passages! This was the fountain in the room and off to the left was a blocked in archway. 

We also saw the room dedicated to Hercules, since he apparently is the victor of Tivoli. Outside in the gardens, however, was truly spectacular. We spent a good deal of the afternoon wandering through the fountains, hedges, and mosaics in the sprawling expanse of land. It was incredible!

[One of my favorite pictures of the day :) ]

After the villa we headed to get a cannoli, which they filled for us in the pastry shop! It was delish, but I think I've had pastries I like here even more. I'll just have to head back to my favorite patisseria here in Roma for some castagnoles :) I did get a cappuccino that definitely made up for it, though.

Villa Adriana is a park with a big fountain near the bar we sat at, so we walked along it for another gorgeous view out over Italy. As the sun set, we came back to see it again, and it was even more amazing.

Here it is in the daylight with Gianna's hair blowing in the wind.

And we hung out for a while. I was sitting in the grass enjoying absorbing it all and these boys came over to inform us that apparently people puke over the rail at night. That kind of ruined it a little so I moved up to sit on the fence...

And the sun began to set.

I had my first actual successful conversation with an Italian waitress to discover that the church nearby was open to visit. I even managed to get directions. It was next to the school yard where the adorable kids were playing soccer and some sort of dodge ball together. They're so cute and listening to their little voices talk in Italian is so strange and adorable to me!

We saw a castle that we wanted to go investigate, but after walking all the way around it and up to the gates, we realized it's someone's residence. Oops.

We couldn't make it to Hadrian's Villa as apparently you have to take a bus, so we stopped for Nutella crepes instead! It was the cutest place - a lit up stand where the man made your crepe hot off the press and spread Nutella on it from a 5kg jar. Please look at how much Nutella this thing can hold.

The place we wanted to go for dinner didn't open til 7:30, which is still early for Italian dinner! We hung out in the pub to kill some time. Our waitress also spoke English, informed us that she loved Americans, and brought us cheese made by her father, olives, and "crisps" [aka chips]. The cheese was delicious - soft and creamy, with a bit of a kick to it! I also discovered that I'm learning to like olives, which I think is a good thing as they are a pretty staple food here.

Finally, we headed to Sabilla, one of the oldest restaurants in the world! Up top was a hotel that I'm sure is busy during tourist season, but it was pretty quiet last night. We had visited early in the day to check it out and take these pictures. It was incredible how the restaurant and hotel was literally built around these ruins.

[That's the restaurant and the ruins in the reflection of this window!]

The food was divine, as well! We started out with vino della casa, of course, and bruschetta, bread, and olive oil. We splurged for "Sabilla's appetizer" with prosciutto, mozzarella, polenta, sesame chicken, artichoke, ricotta, and more. We all had a little taste of everything and it all melted in your mouth. Definitely worth every penny [or "euro cent"]! My meal was technically a "pasta course" of squid and buffalo mozzarella stuffed ravioli. YUM. I tried Cody's gnocchi with rabbit ragout, too, which I think I liked even more! I've definitely eaten lots of new things here. It makes it so much more fun to go out, be brave, and try something. I've found that I like it 90% of the time. If people here eat it, I figure it's not going to kill me.

Sadly, we had to head out for our [delayed] train home. I was so dead my day seriously ended as soon as I walked in my door and made it to my bed.

It was the best day I've had since I arrived here. We experienced the perfect mix of town and nature, food and fun, a great group of people, and a day of discoveries. Tivoli will be a favorite forever :)

Napoli: Home of the Best Margherita Pizza

Yesterday we ventured to the town of Napoli, or Naples, with Bus2Alps. It was an awesome way to spend the day - we got out and about, explored somewhere new, ate delicious food, and met lots of new people who live in Rome! What a great day and the sights were beautiful.

We rolled out of bed bright and early so that we could hop in our cab at 6:45am. We were a little nervous to take the bus since we didn't know which one was best, if it would actually show up, or how long it would take. The cab got us there in about 20 minutes so it was worth it! That did mean we had to sit in the Termini train station for a while before we met up with our group at 7:40. We explored a little and discovered a McDonald's. It was hilarious - they sell a few "American" items like burgers and pancakes, but they also have cappuccinos, orange juice [which is super common here], and brioche pastries! 

Our leaders and group showed up and we headed out of the station to our bus. We were the only people from AUR as most of them were from John Cabot. It didn't really matter since we slept for most of the three hour long bus ride. 

Arriving in Napoli, we stepped out onto Piazza del Plebiscito, the largest piazza there. The architecture was incredible. 

Walking a bit farther, we hit the bay. The view of the Mediterranean was stunning! The bright blue water crashed against the rocky shore of graffiti-ed rocks while the wind blew in our hair. With a pickup game of soccer and sailboats in the distance, it was definitely time for pictures :) 

Continuing on, we went to Castel dell'Ovo, or the Egg Castle. The story is that a Virgil, a Roman poet known to be a sorcerer, put an egg in the foundations of the castle for support. If the egg broke, Napoli's castle and town would be destroyed. Now it's still referred to as that because it looks like an egg sticking out of the water. Either way, it was fun to climb and so worth it for the breathtaking views. 

After the castle, we strolled through town to a chocolate shop. I got a piece of "foresta"... Not sure what it was exactly, but it was tasty! That's how I feel about a lot of the food, especially sweets, that I eat here. We also stopped in this incredible mall. The architecture was all gorgeous! The top two levels are offices of attorneys while the first floor has tourist souvenir shops and cafes. 

Next came the best part of the day: LUNCH. Since Napoli is the home of margherita pizza, we naturally had to eat it. A lot of it! The restuarant Medina, started us off with some tomato bruschetta. They then kindly served every one of us [about 50] our own pizza fresh out of the oven. Our seat was the best as we could see into the kitchen where they were working nonstop. A pitcher of vino della casa bianco for us girls to share completed the delicious meal! "Margherita pizza" at home to me always meant some crust with olive oil, tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil. Here it's similar but they use fresh tomato sauce and chunks of fresh mozzarella. I'm usually not a fan of pizza sauce and can be a bit picky, but I could find nothing wrong with this! My first bite and I was in heaven. I felt like it was a true Italian experience as all of us, roommates and new friends, sat for some time and shared a great meal together. Now I can see why "Italy is Eataly" :)

After lunch we headed to this pastry place known for these orange and ricotta in them. I didn't get one because I'm not a huge fan of orange flavor, but I tried Gianna's and it was interesting - sweet with a little tang to it. I wouldn't have eaten a whole one, but I'm glad I tried it! As we were all waiting out on the street this man with a microphone and a New York beanie showed up. Not sure what he was saying in English, but he was shaking his briefcase full of coins and singing into his microphone for us. It was pretty entertaining. We continued on to the gelato place for other people. I was stuffed, however, so I went across the street and bought a postcard from this old man's cute little stand. I came back and the man with the microphone had followed us! He was singing in the gelato place and of the guys on our trip was dancing to it. 

Our last stop of the day was at the "Best Metro" of 2013. Though it used to not be used by many train lines, they spent lots of money to cover the entire inside with blue tiles. We paid 1,30 euro for a ticket to go in even though we didn't actually use the metro! It was worth it for a cool escalator ride and picture of this awesome skylight. 

My last treat was this hazelnut coffee! It was pretty strong as I'm learning that all Italian coffee means espresso, but I definitely enjoyed the creamy hint of a Nutella flavor. I'm glad our tour guide used to live in Naples and had some fun places to let us discover :)

This castle was in our view as we headed back to the bus, but we didn't actually go inside it. 

A long bus ride home on the highway brought us to Termini. We successfully caught another bus back home and chatted with our new friends from John Cabot. Exhausted, we all hung out choosing our pictures for the Instagram contest before heading to bed! I wasn't sure how I'd like Bus2Alps trips, but it ended up being a great day! They planned us a relaxed but still adventurous day and the people were great.