When in Rome do as the Romans do, eat drink and be merry right? Where in there does it say anything about studying or spending multiple times in the library? Ending week #4 and I am still very disheartened at the fact that I have to stare at PowerPoints and take tests while I am here. Even though it is very annoying and difficult to get myself to do work there are some perks about school here. One, it is almost the fifth week and I haven't turned any thing in or had any tests yet, most of my classes just have a midterm, final, maybe a paper and a on site presentation, so its not like we are doing annoying busy work every day. Two, no classes on Fridays starting next week. I will take a four day week any day.Three, the ability to study in the heart of Rome, which Colleen and I did today. We sat on our wall and pulled out our art history flash cards and began quizzing ourselves while watching mid-afternoon Rome do its thing. So yes I do study and I am a good student so I want to do well but I just find ways to study and be active in the life of Rome at the same time. One thing is for certain, I refuse to spend multiple hours in the library, if my GPA suffers from that then thats that. I would like to think people will be more interested in my time abroad rather than my GPA. Experience vs. decimal numbers. Obvious which one is more meaningful.
Enough about classes.
I have been here for a total of four Saturdays and all Saturdays I have been busy with either traveling or lectures and tours....and it will be like that until I leave. There is only one Saturday in which I have absolutely nothing planned and I may use that Saturday for exploring more of Rome because after all we are in Rome and there is still so much yet that I have to see. We all get caught up in planning trips to other countries and cities and sometimes forget that the city we live in has so so much to offer and explore.
Anywho, this past Saturday we all got up at 6:00 am and all loaded the lovely coach bus to Tarquinia. You know that 6:00 is too early when La Tazza D'Oro is closed, basically all of Rome is asleep at that ungodly hour. Our trip to Tarquinia ( took about an hour and a half) was very interesting and pretty fascinating. We got to visit the necropolis' and go down into some of the tombs which we have been studying in class so that was very relevant and cool. Than we went to the Tarquinia National Museum and looked at some of the famous Sarcophagi and more tombs (whose frescos had been moved to the museum to prevent deterioration) one of which (Tomb of the Triclinium) I did a presentation on for my Art History class. Then we got lunch and headed to the Tyrrhenian Sea. After about four hours looking at tombs and Etruscan Pots, the sea was absolutely splendid. We all took off our shoes, sat on rocks, ate lunch, and explored along the sea shore. The weather was a blessing from above and couldn't have been any better. It was October 19th and I was on a beach in Italy with friends and not a worry in the world. As you can probably guess it was a much needed rejuvenating hour for all of us.
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| Siamo molto felice! |
Back on the bus by 5:00 and back in Rome around 6:15ish. Whew, one heck of a long day. And that is how each and every Saturday is when we have lectures and tours. For dinner two other girls and I walked to a grocery store and got salads and crackers. Solid, cheap dinner. Pasta, pizza, and bread on top of going out to eat almost every night of the week is hard on the body physically and mentally so we designate at least one night a week to light, green, healthy salads with oil and vinegar dressing and Ritz Crackers. Yes, totally 100% American but also 100% acceptable and much needed. After a long day of touring we were not about to go out...... I mean we did go out for gelato but we didn't go out in the normal going out sense. Colleen and I came back to the room, climbed into our beds and watched Lizzie McGuire. Second time since we have been here. Not a speck of shame.
Sunday was here before we knew it and we were off walking our course to our new church, Saint Francis. We like going there because it is in english and the congregation is rather small! We will probably try a different church next week but at least we know there is a close one nearby. After church we needed to get some studying done...oh and also laundry. So we went up to the fifth floor terrace and studied for Theology for about an hour. An hour was enough so then we decided to take a walk to Via del Corso. Via del Corso is the Michigan Ave of Rome and had stores such as The Gap, NorthFace, Puma, H&M, ect. We went into H&M but were not impressed, all of the stores along that strip are so main stream and non Italian so we just poo-pooed it all and left to go to the Spanish Steps to watch the sunset. Lovely evening, with my wonderful roommate and partner in crime. It was a nice different view of the city and we were able to view the sun for a good ten minutes before it sank below a Prada store that was so obnoxiously placed.
We had some fun moments while we were sitting and enjoying our evening there. When we first got there a dance studio must have been doing some form of photo shoot or advertising because there were girls in black leotards doing all sorts of interesting dance moves and positions while parents rapidly took millions of photos. Dance on the Spanish Steps, why not?! After that we made our way up to the very top where they have snacks and painters and other vendors scattered along the street. I also snapped some photos of the idyllic Rome backdrop that we were apart of that evening.
Here is a little side story about the European Water Fountains that we experienced when all we needed was a little drink after a snack up top of the Spanish Steps:
Ha! Who would have thought that drinking from a fountain would have been so difficult, but it really was! These fountains always have a stream running from the spigot and if you want to drink you have to place your finger on the hole so a smaller stream can come up for easy drinking. Well it is not easy. First of all you have to bend down and stick your butt way far out to be even within reach of the damn water and by then you are at an angle that makes it really difficult to swallow once you do get the water in your mouth, not to mention while you are drinking you are also getting water all over your feet and your face and trying not to laugh at the same time. Lets just say I usually don't get enough water to satisfy my thirst because its just too much work but and seems easier than it actually is. We probably looked so out of place drinking out of it and actually attracted a group of onlooking tourists who were getting as much of a kick out of watching us as we were trying to drink. Colleen had the most fun and definitely struggled hardcore but she eventually got it.....
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| Clear fail as the water swipes right under her chin... I was laughing pretty hard at this point |
Mama Mia!
It's a little odd when I get to sleep in longer on Monday's than I do on the weekend but that's how life here in Rome has been so far and it's all fine by me. Weekends are adventure time and the earlier I get up the earlier my adventure for that day starts!
Class, group dinner, and studying for Theology on the old school chalk boards about sums up my day. It is currently Monday night around 12:30. Listening to Katy Perry while the cool Rome evening air comes in and out of our window and night settles in around our hotel. Looks to be a constant 73-75 degree week here in Rome and I see South Bend is predicted to have snow (so says my iPhone). I am loving this constant weather where I can literally wear jeans and a light cardigan and be perfectly content for the entire day! Don't care about no snow here for now, it is still a little early for that even I say, but when I am back in the states there had better be a nice white scene out there for me. It will be my welcome home gift from South Bend :)
Tomorrow is Tuesday. Another day in Rome and another day to cherish and love.
MISS YOU ALL! Hope your lives are wonderfully blessed at this very moment.
Andreina
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