First weekend in Rome!

This weekend Lily, Crystal-two of my friends here-and I decided to hit the beach. The weather here is still nice, high 80s everyday and this weekend was absolutely beautiful weather. Not a cloud in the sky. The beach was on our list of must dos so we asked out resident advisor, Tunde, a 27 year old permanent Rome resident where the best beaches were. She told us that there was one quite close, but it was very touristy and very crowded. She then went on to say that there was one farther way that she and her friends all go to. So, we all got our bus passes, loaded up on the sun screen and headed for the farther away but "locals" only beach. It was a little stressfull trying to find the right train and the right stop, then getting off and finding the right bus. But we did it and boy was it worth it! I've only ever seen the ocean once before and so it was still a very exciting moment for me.

We ate at a little bar right on the ocean and then went swimming (Yes I know you're supposed to wait an hour, but it was the ocean, come on!). I was very glad the waves were small because they totally still freak me out. I completely forgot that it was salt water until a "huge" wave hit me in the face and I drank a mouthful. It was quite a shocker, but only added to the "OMG I'm at an Italian beach!" feeling. The beach was crowded, but it was a beautiful Sunday so it was to be expected. It definitely was mostly natives though, and since Italians around this area are quite dark skinned my paleness stood out like a freakin' polar bear among brown bears. I did lay out a little, but the Mediterranean sun is too intense for my skin. I put sunscreen on like 3 times in the 3ish hours we were there. It was worth it though, because I did not get sunburned anywhere!

The sand was so pretty I took some home in a water bottle!

We WILL be going back!