The Aventine Hill

Where I live...

As part of our three day orientation here at Trinity in Rome we have a bunch of walking tours around the city. On the first day we started with a tour around the neighborhood that we will be living in on the Aventine hill. I love this area because it's away from the touristy area of Rome. We are still well within walking distance to the Colosseum, the Spanish steps and Trevi fountain, but the area we are in is a nice quiet residential area. Walking around I see mainly natives, not tourists and that really helps me feel like I'm living here, not just visiting. It also gives you the best opportunity to speak with locals, especially in Italian. Near the main tourist attractions everyone just speaks to you in English and won't bother to listen to your bad Italian, whereas around here most don't speak much English, if any.

Just around the corner from our convent. So quiet and peaceful...

We get meal passes for three dinners a week to 4 local restaurants and 1 local groceray store. So far, we have eaten at two of the restaurants and they are fantastic. It really is true that all food is better in Italy. I don't normally like pesto sauce and when I heard that's what we were having at il Rino (we didn't get options there) I was a little worried, but I tried it and it was AMAZING! Seriously, it tasted like Christmas (because of the PINE nuts...lol).  The pasta itself is just a 1000 times better than in America and the sauces are sooo good. There's just no way to describe how much I am loving Italian cuisine! We had a mushroom risotto the other day at lunch and I could not stop eating it, it was so fantastic. Even when I ordered a carbanara at L'insalata last night and it was a little too spicy for me it was still fantastic. 

And don't even get me started with the gelato... Coming here I knew about the famed gelato, but honestly didn't think I would be that in love. I do like ice cream back home so I knew I would try some for sure, but I did not think I would be so obsessed with it. I had my first gelato on the first night and I WILL be eating it everyday. It is the most heavenly, delicious, amazing, perfect thing I have ever eaten. It's so much thicker and creamier and richer than American ice cream it can't even be described as the same thing. So far I've tired this one shop's dark chocolate, milk chocolate, vanilla with chocolate chip, and peanut butter flavors and they are all amazing......now I just really want gelato....

Luckily it's now lunch time since all this talk about food has made me starving!

Ciao!

Quando a Roma...

Buon giorno!

I'm in Rome! It's absolutely unbelievable and still sometimes completely takes me by surprise. I'll be brushing my teeth and suddenly think "Oh hey I'm brushing my teeth in Rome!" or "Hey, I just bought Roman body wash!" (so what if it's still Dove). To start the basic information-I am studying at the Trinity College in Rome Program located in a very quiet residential district of Rome a short walk from the Colosseum! Getting here was an adventure. I had three flights in all and while the first two went fine the last and longest flight, crossing the Atlantic, had a "hydraulic malfunction" about 200 miles out to sea and had to TURN BACK, jettison tons of our fuel to make us light enough to land, then land a midst fire engines and emergency crews, be inspected by mechanics, and then after 4 hours, ignoring all the warning messages, refuels and takes off as planned. UMM WHAT!! But, in the end I did make it to Rome in one piece. They managed not to lose my luggage, which with three flights is a near miracle. Taking a taxi was a bit of a challenge because the driver didn't speech any English, but he was very friendly so all was good. When they say Romans drive the crazy people, they really mean it. The cars got like two inches apart, mopeds and bikes were squeezing between cars at lights and there was just a lot of general zooming forward and slamming on the brakes. And a lot of honking. It was terrifying and completely hilarious at the same time.

The students in my program are housed in two locations, half at the convent where most classes are held and half at a "Hotel" nearby. I'm living in the convent on the third floor (am I doomed to always live on third floors?) I'm really glad that I ended up in the convent, not only are most of the classes here, but it's just so beautiful and authentic. Not to mention that fact that it's pretty freaking cool to pass a nun in the hallways! I do have a single, which is awesome! I even have my own bathroom, European style, where the shower is just on the wall, no shower curtain or separate area for the shower space. Its a wet room so it's ok that water goes EVERYWHERE. It turns out that I am a huge fan of this European style of  bathing. I like the freedom to move around it gives you, oh hey is there soap on my face? I can just walk over to the mirror and see. Oh I left my shampoo bottle over there, ok I'll just walk over there and get it. But you do have to remember to take the toilet paper out of the room, or at least cover it with a plastic bag first...I forgot that the first time...oops...

There's so much more to say but that's all for now!

Ciao!