Finally in Roma

Ciao Family and Friends!!

Io sono a Roma, and I have finally started my blog, which will help me stay in contact with everyone more easily.

Italy is amazing!! And Rome has been unbelievably these past few days. I have fallen in love with the city, the people, and of course the food!! I've been told the best way to see la citta bella is to get lost in it, walking around and exploring. So that's what I've done...gotten lost a lot!! But I do feel very safe here (although I'm always very cautious), and I think I'm really starting to understand the layout of the city.

My trip began a little over a week ago, flying to Roma on Tuesday/Wednesday. The flight was so much better than I expected, and it helped that I met a great girl on the plane who I chatted with most of the flight. Abby is an American, but she moved to Spain shortly after studying abroad there in college. Who knows, that could be me one day!! After I said my goodbyes to Kyle and my family before we took off, Abby introduced herself and comforted me as I was crying, telling me all about her experience when she went abroad. She lives in Madrid now, and teaches English to young Spanish students. It was great to get her perspective on life in Europe, especially since she lived a significant amount of her life in America. We hit it off immediately and she invited me to come stay with her in Madrid if I make it there this semester. Definitely a great start to the trip.

Once arriving in Roma, we took a 3 hour bus trip to Assisi, a town in the mountains of the region of Umbria (northeast of Rome), where we had a 4 day retreat/orientation/visit. Assisi is an incredibly religious, peaceful place, home of San Francesco and Santa Chiara. Built on a mountain, Assisi is a walled city, with tiny, hilly streets, small piazzas everywhere you go, cobblestone roads, and tiny homes and buildings with rooftop terraces crammed into a relatively small area. Although 2 days in Assisi would be sufficient to visit the beautiful sites and basilicas, we stayed from Wednesday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, giving us lots of free time to wander the town and get to know one another. My roommate in Assisi was great (we were paired alphabetically) and most of the girls I've met have been very nice. Although at times, I feel like I'm back at Notre Dame Academy (all-girls high school) with the catty-ness (sp?) and the drama. A little drama is necessary every once in awhile...but this is a little too much. Anyway, I'm trying to make the most out of meeting new people, but I miss my girls back at school and home so much!

In Assisi, we lived in a religious community, Citta della Casa Franchi, with rooms half the size of a small dorm room at Notre Dame. It was only for a few days, so I made do...but the shower over the toilet was a little much for me after 4 days. The view from our room was unbelievably though (the best part of Casa Franchi) with views of the small city below and the rolling hillsides of Umbria in the distance. After about 28 hours of travel and homesickness setting in, looking out the window, everything felt just right for the moment. The sunset was amazing each night from our tiny window; I could have never imagined anything so beautiful.

We were fed a 4 course meal twice a day by the lay people at the residence(dinner and supper....aka lunch and dinner)! Food has never tasted so fresh and flavorful (no offense, mom) as it does here. They feed you until there is no more room...but with all the walking up and down hills in Assisi, I felt like each meal was well-deserved. For breakfast, some girls, Hank (the one boy and other ND student in our group), and I would try different cafes (or bars as they call them) for our daily cappuccini e cornetto (croissant) in the morning sun with all the locals. Definitely what I call living the good life!! One thing I love about eating here is the sense of enjoyment and relaxation that I don't recall ever feeling at home. Eating has taken on multiple meanings for me throughout the years, but here in Italia, I feel so content, so at peace when eating a meal. Meals are not to be rushed and they are definitely not to be taken on the go. The art of eating, as I'll call it, is so crucial to their culture, and I love it! Its amazing how much you miss, in taste, conversation, and fulfillment, when you don't truly enjoy a meal. Obviously, we don't all have time for an 4-course, hour long meal everyday.....but somehow (at least in the small towns) the Italians have mastered this. Also, another thing that surprised me in Assisi (you don't see it as much in Roma), is fare una siesta (to take a rest). Around 1 or 2 everyday, i negozi (stores) close up shop for a few hours to rest and recuperate before opening in the evening again. Side note to Polly: you should think about this for DCNW!!! :) haha I don't know how they do it, but this way of life seems to work for them. It obviously frustrates the American tourists, but they have to relax and adjust.

The highlight of the trip to Assisi (as far as sightseeing) was the visits to la Basilica di Santa Chiara e la Basilica di San Francesco (St. Francis and St. Claire). Both are amazing examples of accomplished architecture, sculpture and painting, dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries; but the basilicas are also very powerful places of prayer and faith. Both Santa Chiara and San Francesco's remains are located in the crypts of their basilicas, and preserved artifacts (documents, clothing, hair) and religious artwork is present all throughout. People from all over the world come to Assisi on pilgrimages and religious trips just to walk the same streets as St. Francis and experience the power of the place. Definitely a place I would suggest anyone (whether religious or not) to visit someday. Only a short train or bus trip from Roma.

Anyway, I could go on and on about those short 4 days, about the people I met, the great wine I had, the amazing sites I saw. I hope to visit again someday....maybe as my families tour guide!! By Sunday afternoon, though, I, and most everyone in the group, was ready to get to Roma and get settled in our hotel, The Hotel Tiziano. The trip back took twice as long, because a Lazio game was being held in the city that night, and the traffic in Rome to begin with is always pretty terrible (probably similar to LA). Driving into the city in our Mercedes buses (fancy cars everywhere....Justin would love it) one of our professors was out of breath, trying to point out important sites as we approached our hotel; however, just about every other building is important in Roma's history, so it was overwhelming, but so exciting.

Our hotel, the beautiful 4-star Tiziano is located on Corso Vittorio Emanuelle, a major street in the city, and centrally positioned near any important place in Roma. The Pantheon is a 3 minute walk across the street and down a block. The Trevi Fountain is 5 minutes past the Pantheon. The Vatican is less than a 15 minute walk. The Spanish steps are just north of us. Il Campo (Campo dei Fiori) is one block south of us. Its out of this world!!! Every time I walk into our hotel, I can't believe how lucky I am to be where I am. I couldn't ask for a better location, a nicer staff, a more beautiful hotel. E' semplicemente favoloso!!

I am rooming with 2 girls from Villanova actually (the only other people outside of St. Mary's) who are doing internships at the Vatican!! and are taking a few classes as well. Villanova is the only university in the country to offer internships at the Vatican, so they are very fortunate. ND needs to get on board with that if they call themselves the leading Catholic University in the world. Sam and Caroline are great and we get along great. Hank has been my buddy from the very beginning, since we both felt a little bit like outsiders, not being smcchicks. But people seem to gravitate toward our little group of 4 and we've met some great people. Although, everyone seems to be mooching off our wine a little more frequently than I would like :) Caroline is actually friends with one of Chrissy's friends from home (small world....even in Rome). Our room is great...probably the biggest of the group, with our own bathroom and desks for each one of us. I got #2 room pick number so we definitely lucked out.

We went out for the most delicious pizza in Piazza Navona the first night here, and sat outside drinking wine, listening to a man playing music, people watching, soaking up la vita bella!! We are fortunate enough to get one delicious meal a day here at the hotel! Once again, they go all out with the courses and the variety. Mr. Molineari (sp?), the owner, uses vegetables and fruits grown in his own garden for our food, and everything is fresh the day of. They have guaranteed us multiple times that we will never eat canned, frozen, or preserved while we are here. We also get meal tickets to a bar next to our classroom (and across the street from our hotel) called Pascuccis. Its really tiny, but the people love the St. Mary's group and they serve the most delicious panini e frulatto di frutta (fruit smoothies). The weekends we are free to explore and find our own places to eat (and pay for it), but its nice to have a little of both. I definitely will not go hungry in Italia....quite the opposite.

Classes have been good, but I am trying to figure out how to travel, see Rome, meet new people, learn the language....oh and go to school! I am taking interesting classes though, which definitely is a plus. My first class on Monday at 8am, Philosophy, ended up being probably the best class I'll ever attend in my life. Its just Hank and I and our Professore Andrea. He was late to class, somewhat flustered, and decided we needed to go get cappuccini and get out of the classroom. We sat and drank our coffees while he explained the syllabus and went off on several tangents about Roma, Italian history, and his own life. Then, he took us for a walk around the city, pointing out different cafes we should visit, museums, sculptures on buildings, taking us inside beautiful churches. He grew up in the neighborhood we are living in, so he knows it well. He recently moved, saying that he no longer can afford to live here, as it has become the Beverly Hills of Roma. All around us, the apartments and rooftop terraces are occupied by some of the most wealthy Italians, foreign diplomats, or celebrities of some kind or another. But the area still holds its charm, as Romans from all over flock into the city to the mercati all'aperto and the famous sites.

At night, we try to go visit different sites throughout the city...mainly to walk off our incredibly large dinners. One night we visited the Pantheon, which isn't far at all. The other night we went out drinking in il Campo (a popular nightlife area for young people) and last night we got gelato at the Trevi Fountain and I threw a 2 cent (euro) piece in and made a wish....just like the movies!! Perfetto!!

I will try to keep everyone updated more regularly on my travels and adventures in Roma(so these won't be so long!! Sorry). I miss you all and think about everyone back home often. Thank you all for your support, friendship and love, and for being such special people in my life. I am excited to share my trip with you...and I hope to hear from you whenever possible. Take care. Love to all! Ciao Ciao!