The Adventure Begins!

The Trevi Fountain

So I've been in Rome for three weeks now and have finally decided to start my first blog to make sure I don't forget any of the experiences I'm having here and to share them with everyone back home!  Given that I've taken three weeks to get started I'm going to do my best to update on that large chunk of time and then update more regularly in the coming months.

I arrived in Rome on Tuesday, January 10th a little nervous and extremely excited.  My first night I hardly slept at all partially due to the jet-lag but mostly due to the excitement of the days and months ahead.  I awoke early the next morning for my first day in my new home.  These next three days would be spent in orientation, trying to get to know the city as well as seeing all of its major attractions.  Our tour of the sights of Rome was an incredible whirlwind.  Around one corner I found myself face to face with the Pantheon and around the next, with the Trevi fountain.  I can't fathom how one day all of this will become commonplace and I won't even blink an eye.  

The Pantheon with Jessica

Learning my way around my own area of Rome was a different story and completely overwhelming in a different way.  Everything here is different...from public transportation to groceries.  Understanding the Italian bus system was a struggle at first but within three weeks of using it, I can honestly say I've grown to love it.  Walking into a grocery store, it was difficult to find something I immediately recognized.  Preciutto, agnello, and gnocci are among the items found in the typical Italian grocery store...along with shelves and shelves of pasta (that I recognized)!

Beautiful Roman Park

After a few days of orientation a few of us were ready to adventure out into the city on our own and stumbled upon a beautiful little park.  It's amazing what little things pop up even when you're not looking for something.  I can't wait to put on my running shoes and hit this park to start burning off all of the pizza and pasta I've been eating.  

Speaking of food...it has been just as incredible as one would imagine.  Although I have to admit I have not yet mastered the Italian grocery store, I am definitely a master of the Pizza and "tavola calda" (a restaurant where you can find hot foods like pasta, 

chicken, etc) stops for lunch!  I can't say I've had a bite of pizza or a taste of pasta here that I didn't absolutely love...let's just hope it doesn't show when I come back home in May!

Margherita Pizza! 

The weekend following orientation, I started to explore the night life of Rome, beginning with a five course traditional Italian meal hosted by Andy Steves (Rick Steves' son) accompanied by the sacred "vino" that anyone who has been to Italy raves so much about.  I've only been 21 since November so I don't have much to compare to back home, but the Italian night life is definitely something to experience.  This first weekend we ventured to Campo di Fiori- a popular hangout for Americans and other foreigners.  

The next week marked the beginning of classes.  I'm enrolled in classes at two universities- CEA (about a 15 minute walk from my apartment) and John Cabot (about a 45 minute bus ride away, in Trastevere).  They include Italian 102, The Social History of the Italian Mafia, The History and Theology of the Papacy, Cognitive Psychology, and Social Psychology.  The long commute between campuses turned out to not be such a bad thing after all.  Located just a short trek away from the Vatican, the Colosseum, and from the Trevi Fountain, Trastevere has proven to be a wonderful area.  The area itself is one of the oldest in Rome, containing the oldest church in Rome.  The cobblestone streets and ancient architecture are a constant reminder of the history that surrounds me with every step I take.

Kitty sanctuary in the Roman ruins!

Also not far from John Cabot University is the spot where Caesar was supposedly killed- an area now familiar to me as "Argentina."  In the center of this bustling square you can find a bit of a surprise- uncovered ruins from ancient Rome.  And even more surprising (and to my delight!) was the cat sanctuary that has taken up residence here!  Cat lovers, rest assured, I will be doing my volunteer work here sometime in the near future!  

Needless to say, this week was the most exhausting.  Grocery shopping and public transportation were no longer my greatest concerns.  Now I had to try and figure out how to communicate with the locals.  Unfortunately my one semester of Italian hadn't taught me to understand what the old woman in the middle of the street was screaming, or the helpful 

San Gimignano

directions that kind strangers tried to give me upon seeing my looks of desperation in time when I was lost.  But needless to say, I pressed onward and learned something new every step of the way.  This culture is still fascinating to me.  While I have not yet grown accustomed to some things like the lack of personal space, I'm beginning to love the friendliness of the familiar faces I see and the help that people are willing to give when I make even the smallest attempt to show appreciation for their culture and language.  

After getting through this first week of classes, we took our first adventure outside of Rome, to the beautiful region of Tuscany.  We stopped first in a small Tuscan town called San Gimignano.  I was surprised to see the town mostly deserted due to the lack of tourists in this time of year.  The quiet streets were just the opposite of Rome and the city was bursting with mediaeval architecture and beautiful views of the countryside.  We spent only a few short hours here before continuing to our destination, the beautiful city of Florence.  We arrived after dark and had a lovely dinner before a night out on the town.  It wasn't until morning that I saw Florence in daylight and saw the famous statue of David, and the enormous cathedral and "duomo."  Following our tour, I liked up the 400+ steps to the top of the duomo to find one of the most spectacular views of my life, rivaling that from the Eiffel Tower.  From the top of the dome I could see the entire city of Florence.  I spent the rest of the day exploring the city.  There was so much to see that one day couldn't cover it all but I saw several impressive churches, incredible architecture, and did a little shopping at the famous Florentine leather market.

The Duomo

My photo hardly does justice...

One day in Tuscany was enough to awaken the travel bug inside of me and get me excited for all of my future trips around Italy and a few out of the country.  Florence is only one of many places on my bucket list to visit before I end my time in Europe!

My next week of classes brought even more surprises.  On Wednesday, I made my first trip to the Vatican with my History and Theology of the Papacy class, but didn't make it to the the inside of St. Peter's...instead we ventured underneath into the necropolis.  Little did I know but I was about to venture into a place that only a select number of visitors are allowed in order to best preserve the area.  We began the journey into ancient Roman streets that had been uncovered.  The streets had been dug up accidentally, as is custom in Rome.  Its 

Assisi

ancient inhabitants would build layer on top of layer in this city so that now, when excavators begin to dig into the ground, they never know how many layers of history are lying beneath the dirt.  Thanks to the careful preservation of the area, I was able to walk down these ancient streets and peer into rooms that held numerous ancient tombs.  Some of the earliest Christian art was visible on these walls.  However, our guide saved the most astounding part for last...we followed her into the area that has strong evidence of being Saint Peter's tomb.  From where we should she showed us where we could see his actual bones!  Although there's no way to be 100% certain if these are truly his bones, there was enough evidence for me to believe it.  This was truly an experience I will never forget.

Following this week of class, my friend Maya and I decided it was time for another adventure, this time to the town of Assisi, where Saint Francis is from.  Being out on my first real adventure, without a huge group of American tourists to hide amongst was such a rush.  This town is infinitely smaller than Rome and moves at a much slower pace, which was a well deserved break from the hustle and bustle of my new home.  While in Assisi, I saw several incredible Gothic churches including the Basilica of Saint Francis which if I'm not mistaken 

Franciscan monks?

is among the ten largest churches in the world!  Despite its small size, the city had so much to offer.  I doubt I'll ever be tired of the mediaeval architecture of these small towns or the friendliness of their inhabitants.  The leisurely stroll through the town allowed me to see it all: the churches, the beautiful views, and movie set of a move about Franciscan monks and the life of 

Saint Clare.   ...Rewind! What was that last part?  That's right!  Following the signs for the church of Saint Stefano, we stumbled upon a group of men clothed in Franciscan robes, wearing jeans and tennis shoes and smoking cigarettes!  I wondered what could possibly be the purpose of this strange religious practice.  Only minute later, I noticed a film crew around the corner and with the help of 

Maya, I soon 

The Basilica of Saint Francis

discovered that these were not true members of a Franciscan order but actors!  What a surprise!  After leaving the scene (look out for the movie, maybe you'll see a few accidental appearances of someone you recognize!), we headed for the Basilica of Saint Francis.  It was even more massive than I could have imagined.  The lowest level contained the tomb of Saint Francis, a breathtaking sight.  One level up from this, main section of the church, where services would be held.  The each apsidal chapel could have been its own tiny church, they were each so large and highly decorated.  To my surprise, this was only level one.  Level two was an equally impressive, fully frescoed section of the basilica.  Attached was the rest of the structure which I could not go inside but could sense the remainder of wonder that lay hidden in the basilica.  I spent almost an hour inside before I was forced to leave to catch a train back to Rome.