Roaming Around Rome

Buona sera tutti! So I've had a busy, but relaxing, past few days.  This weekend we took the train to the beach in Santa Marinella, which was gorgeous!  The water was a bit chilly, but nothing unbearable at all. We spent the whole day there, tanning, swimming, and just hanging out with the group.  It was very enjoyable.  We got back home around 6ish, and then got ready and Jessica and I went out with one of our ISCs to meet some of his italian friends and practice our italian.  I love being able to speak all the time; I can tell it's really helping my vocabulary and even my confidence with the language.

Monday we had our academic and internship advising at the IES center.  I'm doing a mixture of the two programs they offer, so I'm doing the internship (with a  seminar on Monday mornings) as well as an art history class on Tuesday-Thursday mornings.  I got some slightly bad news in my internship advising: apparently the UN Info. Center that I had hoped to be interning for this summer had yet to return any of Simona (our internship coordinator)'s calls until yesterday afternoon, which then they just told her that they wouldn't be accepting any interns this summer.. I was a little bummed, but she offered me another option at a political consulting firm, DGG, which does political campaigns here in Rome.  So I'm hoping this one will work out!  I have an interview with them on Friday morning; and then I have a back up option at the Institute of International Affairs, which publishes a journal focused on international current events.  However, at IAI I'd be doing much more english-based work than at DGG, so I'd prefer to work for DGG.  My interview with IAI, though, is on Thursday morning.  Unfortunately, this conflicts with my art history class' trip to the Roman Forum, so I'm going to have to miss out :(  But I'm sure I'll have a chance to just visit it on my own or with some of the kids not enrolled in the art history class.

Today we started classes! I went to my art history class this morning and it was wonderful! I think I'm really going to enjoy it.  It's called Rome as a Living Museum, and it's focused on the various different ways the antiquities here have been preserved, recycled, and manipulated for political reasons.  Today our professor went over a brief history of Rome/Italy from the fall of the empire up until the beginning of the Renaissance.  I took an Italian Civ. class back at UT where we learned in depth about this time period politically and historically, so it was interesting to see how it related to the various different art and architecture around the city.  Plus I just love Italian history; it's fascinating!

After class we were able to sign up for cooking classes, so OF COURSE I DID!  My class made Milanese Risotto, which is risotto with saffron and a TON of butter and parmesan -- seriously, like two whole sticks of butter and an entire bag of parmesan!  See what I mean about the cheese!  The Italians definitely don't mess around with their cheese..  But it turned out delicious!  I'll have to make it when I get back to the States.  The other group handmade gnocchi, but luckily our ISC, Sara, was the one putting on that class, so she said she would teach those of us who were in the first group how to make that as well.

I am having such a fabulous time here.  The only thing that could make it better is if you were all here to enjoy it with me!  But I am heading to bed since I have class in the morning!  Buona Notte!

Okay so this pictures are a hodgepodge of the past few days, sprinkled with a few that I've stolen from the other girls (who brought their nice cameras) of things I'd mentioned in earlier posts.

This was the first American bar we went to.  "Sloppy Sam's" -- what a perfect name!
Photo Credit: Andrea Tocci

The Poppies on top of the Palatine Hill.  Still not as gorgeous as my Poppy!
Photo Credit: Jillian Zeidner

This is the beach we went to, Santa Marinella! The water was so clear, a little chilly, but definitely relaxing!  We walked pretty much the whole beach looking for a place to sit since we were a big group of 20+ and this is a private beach; but we were able to get a nice row of umbrellas.  What a great day that was!
Photo Credit: Alli Penfield

Il Vaticano di nuovo! [The Vatican again!]. I don't think I'll ever get over the fact that I walk right through St. Peter's square everyday on my way to school/work, or the fact that I can see it from my balcony.  Simply incredible.
Photo Credit: Andrea Tocci

A beautiful fountain Jessica and I ran across near the Gianicolo Hill on our way out to meet some Italian friends.  The view of the city at night from here was indescribable.  I'll have to go back and take a few more pictures.  Getting lost in Rome is never boring...

This was the Gelateria that we went to near the Pantheon, where I had the rose gelato.  I'm sure that won't be the last time I go there haha
Photo Credit: Andrea Tocci

The Vittoriano, dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II, the King of Sardegna, and the first king of unified Italy (1861).  We talked a lot about him in my art history class today.
Photo Credit: Andrea Tocci

All of the IES kiddos at the beach.  We got so many weird looks from all the Italians on the beach for taking so many pictures.  We looked like quintessential American tourists... but at least we looked good doing it!

These were the chocolate shots we had our first night here! Che figo, no! [How cool, no!]  The chocolate shot glass made the extremely potent liquor much more bearable.  Yet another place that I'm sure I will be returning to..
Photo Credit: Andrea Tocci

This picture is from our first night.  The buses here are terrible, and occasionally decide to let half the group off and leave the rest of us behind.  Luckily, since it was so late, this "dilemma" left us with fantastic photo-ops!

Another photo from the first night of the ladies on one of the bridges that crosses the Tiber.  Castel Sant'Angello is behind us.

Peroni: cheap, but yummy, Italian beer -- a beach day necessity.  The advice I got from one of the ISCs, Claudio, was to always say that you love Peroni, even if you don't like it haha
Photo Credit: Andrea Tocci

Here is the menu from the Chocolate Shot bar we went to.. I'd rather not explain what they all mean since they're all racy; if you really wanna know, google or word reference it!  But be prepared for some interesting results!
Photo Credit: Alli Penfield

Some of our group, plus a few other Americans we met at Sloppy Sam's, at the Scholar's Pub.  Discounted drinks with our international student IDs -- score!

Playing Egyptian Rat Screw on the beach.  Try explaining THOSE rules in Italian...

The "YOLO" group (aka the girls from my apartment and the ones from next door) with our Peronis on the beach.  What a great day; so much fun, and some much needed relaxation.  [From left to right: Me, Jessica, Fatima, Jillian, Ellen, Alli, Andrea, Rhyme]

Another beach picture of our group, minus Ellen (she's taking the picture), plus one of the only four boys in the program, Michelangelo.

Rose Gelato: my new obsession.. Who knew it'd be so delicious!
Photo Credit: Andrea Tocci

Jessica and I enjoying our Peronis on the beach after a nice dip in the water.

The Beach: Italian Style.

Fendi Casa!! I had to take a picture of this for Kylie Fitz.  You should see all the gorgeous housewares in there!  One day my mansion will be decorated in Fendi Casa...

One of the "Talking Statues" of Rome.  The public would (and still does) use these statues to state their wants, needs, and complaints to the Papacy and the Monarchy.  He had a sign wrapped around his neck that you can't really see in this picture; the wind had blown is behind him, so I didn't get a chance to read it.

The first University of Rome: Sapienza, which means "wisdom" in Italian.  They don't use this campus anymore (although Sapienza is still one of the Universities here).  Now they just have concerts and whatnot here.

SPQR is EVERYWHERE in this city.  It stands for Senatus PopulusQue Romanus (which is latin), and represents the power of the Republic (the Italian form of government).

The tomb of Vittorio Emanuele II inside the Pantheon -- YES I finally got to go in; it only took me 4 visits...

The Crucifix inside the Pantheon.

The tomb of Umberto I, the son of Vittorio Emanuele II and the second king of Unified Italy (1878-1900).

The altar inside of the Pantheon.  Before we went in I saw a couple taking wedding pictures and asked our professor if you could get married in the Pantheon, and apparently YOU CAN, and better yet -- IT'S FREE!! So future destination wedding site?! haha

The first Obelisk of Rome, brought from Egypt.  The Papacy used these pagan constructions (this one is likely celebrating the Sun God) to denote where the major churches in the city were, so that the pilgrims could use them to navigate to all the important churches without too much difficulty.

Giolitti!  We finally found it!  This HUGE gelateria is apparently world famous for their incredible gelato.  How could we say no!

You can never go wrong with dark chocolate gelato, MMMMMMMMM!  Check out the Italian chick behind me -- HAH!

Una colazzione tipica [A typical breakfast] from the bar downstairs.  Un cappuccino e un cornetto [croissant] costs only 2.5 euro!  And they even put a sweet little cinnamon smiley face on top :)
Photo Credit: Andrea Tocci