Another amazingly tasty aspect of Rome (other than the coffee bars) is that there is a Gelateria on every corner, which makes getting a couple of scoops of Italy’s delicious version of ice cream very easy. About four doors down from our school building in Rome, there is a Gelateria where I, along with many of the other students, have been trying a different flavor of gelato just about every day. It is buonissimo! There are all sorts of flavors of gelato, as well as sorbet, mousse, frozen yogurt, and even soy gelato! My favorites so far are chocolate cream and black cherry cream. One of my friends and classmates, Ali, is obsessed with gelato! I think her first words when we arrived here in Rome was "Where can I get some gelato?" She is someone I can always count on to go to the Gelateria with. I think we'd both agree that gelato is a must if you want to have a true Italian experience!

Posted by Lisa at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Italian coffee = amazing! In the U.S., I like coffee drinks alright, but I’m more into the sugary frozen blended coffee drinks. But, after my first sip of Italian cappuccino, I was in love with the simple espresso, steamed milk, and foam drink (with a packet of sugar of course)! The taste of the espresso is great, and I love going to one of the million coffee bars here to sip my coffee and eat an Italian pastry or panino. Just a side note: in Rome, there are many signs for “Bar,” which here refer to coffee bars, not alcohol-drinking ones. Those are referred to as “Pubs” in Italy, just to clarify.
One nice thing about our classes is that halfway through most of them, we get to have a coffee break, and we can go to a nearby bar for coffee or a little treat, and then meet back for class 20 minutes or so later. I’m trying to become a regular at the “Snack Bar” right around the corner from our school. I get my cappuccino and some sort of dolce most afternoons, and either drink it at the bar in traditional Italian style, or sit to do some work at one of the tables. I love it!

Posted by Lisa at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Our first weekend here in Rome was set aside to be an immersion orientation weekend in order to help us students adjust to the Roman way of life and become more familiar with European customs and attitudes. After our initial arrival Friday afternoon, we checked in at the Hotel Piccolo, which is located above our school in the same building. After we brought our luggage to our rooms, we had a short lunch break. I went with some students to the “Snack Bar” right around the corner from the school to grab a panino and a drink, and then we decided to walk a couple of blocks to the Spanish steps! It was so unreal to have just arrived in Rome and be sitting casually in La Piazza di Spagna, having a bite to eat for lunch. After lunch, the rest of the evening consisted of us being welcomed by the program directors and taking care of practical matters like buying cell phones so that we could call home and assure our anxious parents that we had arrived safely. The first night concluded with a dinner out together (see “My First Italian Dining Experience”) and then collapsing in our beds to get some sleep!
Saturday we woke up a little too early for my taste and had a continental breakfast, Italian style, at the hotel. Their chocolate croissants were to die for, and the cappuccino was great too! We all then met in our school classroom to continue orientation discussions. We were told about how to remain safe in Rome (avoid being pickpocketed!) and what it would be like to live with Italian families. In the evening, we had a guided tour of the center of Rome, the area right around our school location. We were then free to find dinner on our own in small groups. I went with two other girls to a restaurant near the Spanish steps for some tasty eggplant parmesan and my first tiramisu in Italy (which was to die for!).
Sunday we had the option to go to mass at a church a couple of doors down from the school. I went, and it was quite interesting to try to follow an entire mass in Italian. We had handouts with which we could follow along, which allowed us to put our language skills to use. And the church in which the mass was held was beautiful! The artwork all over the walls and ceiling was breathtaking, like all of the churches and cathedrals here, which I’m sure will make for some different and amazing mass experiences this semester. Sunday night there was a little social at the school with drinks and desserts while our host families arrived to meet us and take us home. Like true Italians, they arrived anywhere from on time to an hour and a half late! My roommate, Katherine, and I finally met our host mother, Cristina, which was exciting and challenging, as we had to try to put the little Italian that we know to use in order to communicate with her! That evening we went back to her apartment to move-in and unpack.

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Sunday night there was a little mixer at the school for the students to meet the host families with whom we’ll be staying. My host mother is Cristina, who is a lawyer with a 14-year old son, Rudolfo. One of my friends and classmates, Katherine, is staying with this family also. We each have a room at the apartment, and the rooms are connected by a balcony, with a great view! We live north of the city, in Flaminio. Our commute is about 40 minutes to or from school. We take a tram from our apartment to La Piazza del Popolo, which is where the gates to Rome are, and then we walk from there to the Spanish Steps (La Piazza di Spagna) and then to our school a couple of blocks away. Move-in to the apartment wasn’t too bad; Cristina lives on the fifth floor, but there is a small elevator in the apartment, so we could lift all of our luggage up the floors. Our host mother then showed us our keys (we each have four!) and how to lock the doors, gate to the apartment, and the apartment building entrances. She told us when dinner would be, and then we spent some time unpacking all of our stuff into our bedrooms. It took some effort to communicate with her and know all that she was saying since she doesn't speak much English. So our Italian skills were put to use right away!
Unpacking wasn't quite as bad as packing was. My bedroom is nice and big, with plenty of storage space. One of my favorite parts of the bedrooms is that they both have double glass doors that open up to a balcony, which connects Katherine and my rooms, and that we leave open most of the day for air (there’s no a/c here) and sunlight (they tend to use natural light here during the daytime). Check out my picture albums for shots of my new room!

Posted by Lisa at 11:01 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)