Finally! I posted all of my pictures...so far. Unfortunately they are all on Facebook. Sorry!
Hope you enjoy and can kinda match up some of the photos with my stories. I'll have to do a slideshow when I get back....but you will ALL know what happened!!! hahaha I love sharing all of this with you!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Day 24
Day 24 September 7, 2010
All better today!! Who knows what happened, but apparently two days and one night of sleep solved the problem.
This morning I went to go see the Sistine Chapel with Tamara before school. Unfortunately the line to get into the Vatican Museum and thus the Sistine Chapel was several hours long and we didn’t have time to do that or take a tour. So we meandered through the smallest country in the world and took several pictures. There were several groups of young priests and nuns. (I received an email from Mama Su’ad today asking me if there are young priests and nuns throughout Rome! I haven’t seen many groups of priests – other than at the Vatican – but there are nuns EVERYWHERE.)
I just don’t know how to explain the Vatican. It is majestic, beautiful, imposing, graceful, and austere. I plan to do a guided tour, maybe one that includes a papal visit, either next week or my last week in Italy.
[Side note: I have decided that when my classes end I am going to go to Venice and Florence for a few days each and then return to Rome. For one thing, I love it here so much. Secondly, I would like to have weekdays, without classes in the middle of the day, to be able to partake in the tours, visit museums, etc.]
After leaving the Vatican we went to school. Once I got there, Giordano (manager of the club) told me that they were going to watch the soccer match at the club in the evening. I thought it would be interesting to watch a game with some Italians, so we all stayed at the club and watched the game. Hey, what would a stay in Italy be without a good game?!
A few people wanted to go out after the game and even though I am feeling better I am still tired and don’t want to get sick again. So I am taking it easy, making some dinner, studying a little bit and going to bed.
All better today!! Who knows what happened, but apparently two days and one night of sleep solved the problem.
This morning I went to go see the Sistine Chapel with Tamara before school. Unfortunately the line to get into the Vatican Museum and thus the Sistine Chapel was several hours long and we didn’t have time to do that or take a tour. So we meandered through the smallest country in the world and took several pictures. There were several groups of young priests and nuns. (I received an email from Mama Su’ad today asking me if there are young priests and nuns throughout Rome! I haven’t seen many groups of priests – other than at the Vatican – but there are nuns EVERYWHERE.)
I just don’t know how to explain the Vatican. It is majestic, beautiful, imposing, graceful, and austere. I plan to do a guided tour, maybe one that includes a papal visit, either next week or my last week in Italy.
[Side note: I have decided that when my classes end I am going to go to Venice and Florence for a few days each and then return to Rome. For one thing, I love it here so much. Secondly, I would like to have weekdays, without classes in the middle of the day, to be able to partake in the tours, visit museums, etc.]
After leaving the Vatican we went to school. Once I got there, Giordano (manager of the club) told me that they were going to watch the soccer match at the club in the evening. I thought it would be interesting to watch a game with some Italians, so we all stayed at the club and watched the game. Hey, what would a stay in Italy be without a good game?!
A few people wanted to go out after the game and even though I am feeling better I am still tired and don’t want to get sick again. So I am taking it easy, making some dinner, studying a little bit and going to bed.
Day 23
Day 23 September 6, 2010
Yes, definitely sick…again….Ugh. I don’t know if I just got myself too tired, if it was the water, or a combination of the two. I am pretty sure I had a fever last night and this morning. I didn’t go to school today….just slept all day.
Now that it is evening I am starting to feel better. Tamara called me asking why I wasn’t in school (guessing that I was ill) and if I would be interested in going out with her and the girls. I declined going anywhere and am now doing a little bit of studying before I go back to sleep.
Salute (Good health)
Yes, definitely sick…again….Ugh. I don’t know if I just got myself too tired, if it was the water, or a combination of the two. I am pretty sure I had a fever last night and this morning. I didn’t go to school today….just slept all day.
Now that it is evening I am starting to feel better. Tamara called me asking why I wasn’t in school (guessing that I was ill) and if I would be interested in going out with her and the girls. I declined going anywhere and am now doing a little bit of studying before I go back to sleep.
Salute (Good health)
Day 22
Day 22 September 5, 2010
I am still very tired today and starting to feel that cold coming back. I managed to get up early in the morning and go to church. Then I met up with Tamara and Ana to go to the street market. But something was not right about the street market today because none of the vendors were there…..Did I forget about some holy day? Did something happen in Rome today? We don’t know.
Regardless, I was so very tired from the day before that I had to leave the girls and go home. I ended up taking a nap and then doing some chores. I straightened my room, took out the trash, and washed some clothes. This I have to do by hand because the landlady does not allow us to use her washing machine. (I would be more ok with this rule if she wasn’t in and out of the apartment using this washing machine…) Not using machines to do laundry is an interesting experience for me mostly because I am not used to hang-drying the wash. I “borrowed” a cable cord that was sitting on a shelf and tied it across my bedroom. This is my clothes-line. I have a standing fan in my bedroom which I have blowing across the clothes-line to help things dry even quicker. Sorry Haila, there is no alley-way to hang my wash out the window!
I am definitely feeling a sore throat and upset stomach and am going to take it easy today. Could I really be getting sick again? Or is it all the ocean water I consumed yesterday?
I am still very tired today and starting to feel that cold coming back. I managed to get up early in the morning and go to church. Then I met up with Tamara and Ana to go to the street market. But something was not right about the street market today because none of the vendors were there…..Did I forget about some holy day? Did something happen in Rome today? We don’t know.
Regardless, I was so very tired from the day before that I had to leave the girls and go home. I ended up taking a nap and then doing some chores. I straightened my room, took out the trash, and washed some clothes. This I have to do by hand because the landlady does not allow us to use her washing machine. (I would be more ok with this rule if she wasn’t in and out of the apartment using this washing machine…) Not using machines to do laundry is an interesting experience for me mostly because I am not used to hang-drying the wash. I “borrowed” a cable cord that was sitting on a shelf and tied it across my bedroom. This is my clothes-line. I have a standing fan in my bedroom which I have blowing across the clothes-line to help things dry even quicker. Sorry Haila, there is no alley-way to hang my wash out the window!
I am definitely feeling a sore throat and upset stomach and am going to take it easy today. Could I really be getting sick again? Or is it all the ocean water I consumed yesterday?
Day 21
Day 21 September 4, 2010
Oh my goodness, I am so so so so tired!!!!!!!!!!!
We (Me, Tamara, Ana, Tamir, Diego, and Tomas) met at Termini station at 9.00 this morning. All of us were still sleepy but excited for a beautiful day at the beach. It was already getting hot in the city so we were especially keen on going to the water today.
As soon as we were all gathered together we headed to Ostia, about an hour train ride outside of center-city. The train ride was alright. It was dirty, hot and crowded. There wasn’t much to see outside the windows. But we were in good company and happy to know that we were going to have a good day together.
And we knew that it WAS going to be a good day as soon as we stepped off the train platform. The weather was amazing! The air was so fresh! As we started walking closer to the beach, we could catch glimpse of water but kept asking one another, “is that the ocean or a swimming pool because it looks so blue and so clean!” Sure enough, it really was the ocean! Ah bellisima!!
The surprising thing is that we had to pay to get onto the beach. Well, technically, we paid to rent cabanas for the day….but they wouldn’t allow us on the beach unless we had at least one of these cabanas (changing rooms). We ended up getting two, one for the girls and one for the boys. I think it was about 5.50Euro each. Initially we all complained a little bit about having to spend the money, but in the end we made good use out of those rooms. We changed comfortably and had a place to lock away our valuables without worrying about them.
Then we headed straight for the sand, testing out the water, and settling in. It was about 10.30 and really it was the most beautiful weather. I wish that I took pictures but I totally forgot about it. Boo! The boys straight away went into the water and went for a swim. The girls stayed behind and laid out, chatting lazily and watching people walk by. After a little bit the boys joined us and we all sat or lay down and drifted into our own worlds, occasionally saying a few words to one another.
After a couple of hours we started getting restless and hot and decided to go in the water. At first we all went in, but shortly after Ana went back to keep an eye on our towels and things. (It was sweet that Ana came to the beach with us because she just kept saying how much she didn’t like sand and water. She really did just come for the company.)
The water was really nice. No waves really, at least not like we have in San Diego. Just some small bumps that were too lazy to even attempt to curl and splash. Oh, speaking of splashing! The boys thought it would be funny to start a splashing war. Ooooh!! It wouldn’t have been so bad if Tamir and Tomas didn’t decide to gang up on me and get me from both sides! It was awful! And so much fun!!! But the ocean here is so much saltier. I don’t know how much I ended up drinking during that “war” but enough to get a bit of a stomach ache! Yeesh! But I must still have a little kid in me because I would do it all over again! Ha ha ha!
The water begins very shallow and then abruptly the ground falls away. It was a bit of a surprise how quickly it changed. I was floating along and enjoying the water and the sun and then I heard Diego calling me. He and Tomas were about half a mile further out in the water and standing up! I immediately started swimming out with Tamir and Tamara following. The ocean floor came back up so that we were standing in a sand bar. It was so neat to feel like we were standing in the middle of the ocean. Maybe we were further out than I thought because the people on the beach seemed so small and the sail boats seemed much closer to us. Needless to say, that silly-crazy-full-of-happiness-grin was glued to my face. I wanted to stay out there forever. But our skin started to prune and we were getting tired running around in the middle of the ocean….and we still had to make the swim back to shore….it is a good thing that swimming in is so much easier.
Once again we lay down on our towels and quieted down. But it was after noon and the play in the water made us hungry so it was time to get lunch. We ate simply, sandwiches and salad. And then we all drifted off into sleep or reading our books.
We decided to leave around 17.00 and slowly got our things and selves together. The train ride back was much quieter than the morning transit but we all still had the peaceful contentedness of the day among us. We made plans to all meet each other again later in the evening (around 22.30) for some drinks and music. Once we returned to center-city Tamir and Diego went to their respective homes to rest while Tamara, Ana, Tomas, and I found a restaurant near Termini and had dinner.
I was on the bus heading to Tamara’s place to get ready for the evening when I received a phone call from….Mama, Baba, Haila, and Luma!!!! It was Mama and Baba’s anniversary and I was very happy that they called me! I just now realized that I don’t know what they ended up doing on Saturday to celebrate the day. I still find it odd that I was coming to the end of my day while you were starting yours! What did you all do? It was so nice to hear everyone’s voices and do a quick catch up. I can’t believe I have been gone so long! I miss everyone so much but am having such a wonderful time here that I haven’t had a chance to get homesick yet. (Except for when I was sick…and then I was feeling sorry for myself all around.)
The evening didn’t go quite as planned. After such a tranquil day we were all hoping to spend an equally calm evening. However, people starting inviting people, who in turn invited more people. Our simple group of five (Tomas was not going to join us) somehow turned into fifteen. And then these “other” people decided that our original plans were not good enough and that they had a better idea. And we foolishly just went along with them. I should have either said I’m going to stick to my original plan or said I’m going home…..But no, I was too curious to see what was going to happen and went along. We ended up walking for about 2 hours to some place by Tevere (Tiber river) were we spent 10.00Euro on a drink each! What?! We sat there for a while and then walked back. It was way past all of our buses by the time we returned to our meeting point. I had to see both Tamara and Ana safely off in taxis before Tamir walked me home. Thankfully my apartment wasn’t too far and I had a safe escort!
But after such a loooooong day……Io molto stanco!!! Bona note!!! (I am very tired!! Good night!!!)
Oh my goodness, I am so so so so tired!!!!!!!!!!!
We (Me, Tamara, Ana, Tamir, Diego, and Tomas) met at Termini station at 9.00 this morning. All of us were still sleepy but excited for a beautiful day at the beach. It was already getting hot in the city so we were especially keen on going to the water today.
As soon as we were all gathered together we headed to Ostia, about an hour train ride outside of center-city. The train ride was alright. It was dirty, hot and crowded. There wasn’t much to see outside the windows. But we were in good company and happy to know that we were going to have a good day together.
And we knew that it WAS going to be a good day as soon as we stepped off the train platform. The weather was amazing! The air was so fresh! As we started walking closer to the beach, we could catch glimpse of water but kept asking one another, “is that the ocean or a swimming pool because it looks so blue and so clean!” Sure enough, it really was the ocean! Ah bellisima!!
The surprising thing is that we had to pay to get onto the beach. Well, technically, we paid to rent cabanas for the day….but they wouldn’t allow us on the beach unless we had at least one of these cabanas (changing rooms). We ended up getting two, one for the girls and one for the boys. I think it was about 5.50Euro each. Initially we all complained a little bit about having to spend the money, but in the end we made good use out of those rooms. We changed comfortably and had a place to lock away our valuables without worrying about them.
Then we headed straight for the sand, testing out the water, and settling in. It was about 10.30 and really it was the most beautiful weather. I wish that I took pictures but I totally forgot about it. Boo! The boys straight away went into the water and went for a swim. The girls stayed behind and laid out, chatting lazily and watching people walk by. After a little bit the boys joined us and we all sat or lay down and drifted into our own worlds, occasionally saying a few words to one another.
After a couple of hours we started getting restless and hot and decided to go in the water. At first we all went in, but shortly after Ana went back to keep an eye on our towels and things. (It was sweet that Ana came to the beach with us because she just kept saying how much she didn’t like sand and water. She really did just come for the company.)
The water was really nice. No waves really, at least not like we have in San Diego. Just some small bumps that were too lazy to even attempt to curl and splash. Oh, speaking of splashing! The boys thought it would be funny to start a splashing war. Ooooh!! It wouldn’t have been so bad if Tamir and Tomas didn’t decide to gang up on me and get me from both sides! It was awful! And so much fun!!! But the ocean here is so much saltier. I don’t know how much I ended up drinking during that “war” but enough to get a bit of a stomach ache! Yeesh! But I must still have a little kid in me because I would do it all over again! Ha ha ha!
The water begins very shallow and then abruptly the ground falls away. It was a bit of a surprise how quickly it changed. I was floating along and enjoying the water and the sun and then I heard Diego calling me. He and Tomas were about half a mile further out in the water and standing up! I immediately started swimming out with Tamir and Tamara following. The ocean floor came back up so that we were standing in a sand bar. It was so neat to feel like we were standing in the middle of the ocean. Maybe we were further out than I thought because the people on the beach seemed so small and the sail boats seemed much closer to us. Needless to say, that silly-crazy-full-of-happiness-grin was glued to my face. I wanted to stay out there forever. But our skin started to prune and we were getting tired running around in the middle of the ocean….and we still had to make the swim back to shore….it is a good thing that swimming in is so much easier.
Once again we lay down on our towels and quieted down. But it was after noon and the play in the water made us hungry so it was time to get lunch. We ate simply, sandwiches and salad. And then we all drifted off into sleep or reading our books.
We decided to leave around 17.00 and slowly got our things and selves together. The train ride back was much quieter than the morning transit but we all still had the peaceful contentedness of the day among us. We made plans to all meet each other again later in the evening (around 22.30) for some drinks and music. Once we returned to center-city Tamir and Diego went to their respective homes to rest while Tamara, Ana, Tomas, and I found a restaurant near Termini and had dinner.
I was on the bus heading to Tamara’s place to get ready for the evening when I received a phone call from….Mama, Baba, Haila, and Luma!!!! It was Mama and Baba’s anniversary and I was very happy that they called me! I just now realized that I don’t know what they ended up doing on Saturday to celebrate the day. I still find it odd that I was coming to the end of my day while you were starting yours! What did you all do? It was so nice to hear everyone’s voices and do a quick catch up. I can’t believe I have been gone so long! I miss everyone so much but am having such a wonderful time here that I haven’t had a chance to get homesick yet. (Except for when I was sick…and then I was feeling sorry for myself all around.)
The evening didn’t go quite as planned. After such a tranquil day we were all hoping to spend an equally calm evening. However, people starting inviting people, who in turn invited more people. Our simple group of five (Tomas was not going to join us) somehow turned into fifteen. And then these “other” people decided that our original plans were not good enough and that they had a better idea. And we foolishly just went along with them. I should have either said I’m going to stick to my original plan or said I’m going home…..But no, I was too curious to see what was going to happen and went along. We ended up walking for about 2 hours to some place by Tevere (Tiber river) were we spent 10.00Euro on a drink each! What?! We sat there for a while and then walked back. It was way past all of our buses by the time we returned to our meeting point. I had to see both Tamara and Ana safely off in taxis before Tamir walked me home. Thankfully my apartment wasn’t too far and I had a safe escort!
But after such a loooooong day……Io molto stanco!!! Bona note!!! (I am very tired!! Good night!!!)
Day 20
Day 20 September 3, 2010
Did I mention that all of the Romans have finally returned to Rome?
On the 15th of August is the Festival of the Assupmtion…Ferragosto…and traditionally the start of the Roman vacation which runs through the end of August. Many Romans leave the city at this time, its hottest and most humid, to the tourists. A lot of the smaller shops and restaurants had been closed since I arrived and now they are magically opening their doors!
And there are so many more people here! I thought that Rome was full of activity and people but I didn’t realize that half of the “native” population was not even here all this time! What a change! The buses are so crowded that we cram in like sardines. The Metro looks like a giant clown car with people pouring out. Even though it is a little bit uncomfortable, I love it because now the music of the language is all around me! I love hearing Italian. Especially now that I am starting to understand what is being said. It really is like listening to music. Even in class we have to learn how to say a word with the added dimension of intonation. Why doesn’t American-English have music? What a shame! No wonder Italians make such great music…it just lives in their words!
So today is Friday. Nothing really significant happened today. We are planning to leave for the beach early tomorrow so I prepared for that before I left the apartment for today. I just made sure that I had my towel, bathing suit, outfit, etc in order so that I don’t scramble around tomorrow morning.
School went well. I can’t believe that another week is over! I do feel like I am making progress with Italian, but I have such a long way to go. There are so many verbs! So many different conjugations! But I am studying and getting better day by day.
I stayed at the school club after class with “the group” and we partied for a little bit. I, as usual, left early because I just can’t keep up with the “young’uns”. That is a joke. I could keep up but I am discovering that I really don’t enjoy being around drunk people….maybe if I was drunk with them I would find it more amusing….but I just feel like I have to take care of them and make sure that everyone is safe and then there is absolutely no fun left…so I leave before things get to that point and I leave happy.
A domani, andiamo al mare!! (Tomorrow, we go to the ocean!!)
Did I mention that all of the Romans have finally returned to Rome?
On the 15th of August is the Festival of the Assupmtion…Ferragosto…and traditionally the start of the Roman vacation which runs through the end of August. Many Romans leave the city at this time, its hottest and most humid, to the tourists. A lot of the smaller shops and restaurants had been closed since I arrived and now they are magically opening their doors!
And there are so many more people here! I thought that Rome was full of activity and people but I didn’t realize that half of the “native” population was not even here all this time! What a change! The buses are so crowded that we cram in like sardines. The Metro looks like a giant clown car with people pouring out. Even though it is a little bit uncomfortable, I love it because now the music of the language is all around me! I love hearing Italian. Especially now that I am starting to understand what is being said. It really is like listening to music. Even in class we have to learn how to say a word with the added dimension of intonation. Why doesn’t American-English have music? What a shame! No wonder Italians make such great music…it just lives in their words!
So today is Friday. Nothing really significant happened today. We are planning to leave for the beach early tomorrow so I prepared for that before I left the apartment for today. I just made sure that I had my towel, bathing suit, outfit, etc in order so that I don’t scramble around tomorrow morning.
School went well. I can’t believe that another week is over! I do feel like I am making progress with Italian, but I have such a long way to go. There are so many verbs! So many different conjugations! But I am studying and getting better day by day.
I stayed at the school club after class with “the group” and we partied for a little bit. I, as usual, left early because I just can’t keep up with the “young’uns”. That is a joke. I could keep up but I am discovering that I really don’t enjoy being around drunk people….maybe if I was drunk with them I would find it more amusing….but I just feel like I have to take care of them and make sure that everyone is safe and then there is absolutely no fun left…so I leave before things get to that point and I leave happy.
A domani, andiamo al mare!! (Tomorrow, we go to the ocean!!)
Day 19
Day 19 September 2, 2010
This morning I had an early start, waking up at 7.00 in the morning to prepare for the day and have some time to do my walking before meeting with Tamara at Termini. We decided that it was a shopping day today. We headed for Via del Corso to see what goodies we could find there.
We took the Metro there (I will talk about my feelings about the subway later…) and found that we were a little bit early. All of the stores open around 10.00. So, we stopped at a café where I had a delicious espresso and chocolate croissant (cornetto ciocolato). As we were sitting there we noticed a movie theater next door and thought that it would be an interesting experience to go see a movie in Italian.
By the time we were finished with our breakfast and chatting and goofing around, the stores were ready for us. We meandered down the street and stopped at any store that caught our fancy. There are many specialty boutiques one after the other. All of them displaying their own line of clothing in the most artful ways. It is an experience to just walk past all of them, like walking through a clothing museum. I didn’t think that I would find anything since I am a few sizes larger than the average Italian woman. However, I did end up finding a shirt dress that actually fit and looked nice! So, yes, even though I am on a tight budget I did end up buying it. How can I be in Rome and not leave without a single article of clothing?!
Oh, I also bought a pair of sandals the other day. It is impossible to be here without a nice pair of sandals that you can walk all day with. And you just can’t “blend in with the natives” in your sneakers!! I mean, it screams tourist, no? Hahaha, I like pretending that I am Italian now. I think that sometimes I can actually get away with it too….as long as no one expects me to say more than 5 words in Italian…
After our shopping trip, we headed to school and met a group of our friends. We asked them what they thought about going to see a movie and several of them liked the idea. So, a plan was set. We would meet after class, in the lobby at 17.00 (5pm) and head to the movie theater. After some debating we all agreed that we would go see “Shrek 3”.
The movie didn’t start until 20.30 (8:30pm) so we walked around the neighborhood until we found a small place to have dinner. This place ended up being a little bit creepy because it was totally silent and we were the only people there. We still had our own fun laughing and joking around and on the most part we enjoyed our food. Well, except for Marianna who we think had something rotten in her pasta dish….she ended up getting a pizza.
We still had some time between dinner and the movie so we sat at the fountain in the middle of Piazza Bernini, again talking, laughing, and also taking pictures. It was really beautiful. In the middle of all of the chaos of the cars and people is this square and fountain, almost like an island…but I guess in reverse because the fountain is water….nevermind….Anyway, it was really nice to sit there in good company (Tamara, Marianna, Tomas, Diego, and me) and just sit peacefully, watching life bustling around us while day turned into night.
Then it was time to see the movie. The funny thing is that I saw this movie one and a half times on the flight into Rome. But really it helped to have seen it in English first because I could really follow what was happening and could concentrate on the Italian words. Another learning experience.
After the show we were all pretty tired and went our separate ways home.
I just now realized that this was what I would have thought of as a “typical” day out with friends back home: girlie shopping followed by a group dinner and a movie. Somehow the experience was still so different.
Oh! I forgot to mention this church that Tamara and I came across in the middle of all of the shops. It was really beautiful. Some of the churches here are a little bit on the dismal, dark, dreary side. But this one just hit both of us with its majesty and reverence. I took several pictures to share. I don’t even know how to describe it and will have to share these pictures to give you a sense of the experience and atmosphere.
This morning I had an early start, waking up at 7.00 in the morning to prepare for the day and have some time to do my walking before meeting with Tamara at Termini. We decided that it was a shopping day today. We headed for Via del Corso to see what goodies we could find there.
We took the Metro there (I will talk about my feelings about the subway later…) and found that we were a little bit early. All of the stores open around 10.00. So, we stopped at a café where I had a delicious espresso and chocolate croissant (cornetto ciocolato). As we were sitting there we noticed a movie theater next door and thought that it would be an interesting experience to go see a movie in Italian.
By the time we were finished with our breakfast and chatting and goofing around, the stores were ready for us. We meandered down the street and stopped at any store that caught our fancy. There are many specialty boutiques one after the other. All of them displaying their own line of clothing in the most artful ways. It is an experience to just walk past all of them, like walking through a clothing museum. I didn’t think that I would find anything since I am a few sizes larger than the average Italian woman. However, I did end up finding a shirt dress that actually fit and looked nice! So, yes, even though I am on a tight budget I did end up buying it. How can I be in Rome and not leave without a single article of clothing?!
Oh, I also bought a pair of sandals the other day. It is impossible to be here without a nice pair of sandals that you can walk all day with. And you just can’t “blend in with the natives” in your sneakers!! I mean, it screams tourist, no? Hahaha, I like pretending that I am Italian now. I think that sometimes I can actually get away with it too….as long as no one expects me to say more than 5 words in Italian…
After our shopping trip, we headed to school and met a group of our friends. We asked them what they thought about going to see a movie and several of them liked the idea. So, a plan was set. We would meet after class, in the lobby at 17.00 (5pm) and head to the movie theater. After some debating we all agreed that we would go see “Shrek 3”.
The movie didn’t start until 20.30 (8:30pm) so we walked around the neighborhood until we found a small place to have dinner. This place ended up being a little bit creepy because it was totally silent and we were the only people there. We still had our own fun laughing and joking around and on the most part we enjoyed our food. Well, except for Marianna who we think had something rotten in her pasta dish….she ended up getting a pizza.
We still had some time between dinner and the movie so we sat at the fountain in the middle of Piazza Bernini, again talking, laughing, and also taking pictures. It was really beautiful. In the middle of all of the chaos of the cars and people is this square and fountain, almost like an island…but I guess in reverse because the fountain is water….nevermind….Anyway, it was really nice to sit there in good company (Tamara, Marianna, Tomas, Diego, and me) and just sit peacefully, watching life bustling around us while day turned into night.
Then it was time to see the movie. The funny thing is that I saw this movie one and a half times on the flight into Rome. But really it helped to have seen it in English first because I could really follow what was happening and could concentrate on the Italian words. Another learning experience.
After the show we were all pretty tired and went our separate ways home.
I just now realized that this was what I would have thought of as a “typical” day out with friends back home: girlie shopping followed by a group dinner and a movie. Somehow the experience was still so different.
Oh! I forgot to mention this church that Tamara and I came across in the middle of all of the shops. It was really beautiful. Some of the churches here are a little bit on the dismal, dark, dreary side. But this one just hit both of us with its majesty and reverence. I took several pictures to share. I don’t even know how to describe it and will have to share these pictures to give you a sense of the experience and atmosphere.
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