Food of the Gods

So I'm pretty sure everyone has seen enough fountains and monuments for the time being, so let's talk about something that needs no translation, something that can transcend all national borders and continents. After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a study abroad student in possession of a good appetite must be in want of a goddamn delicious carbohydrate-laden Italian meal.

How do I even begin to talk about the food. What strikes me most about the cuisine is how unbelievably fresh everything tastes. The sauces in particular are heavenly - the tomato sauces taste as if the tomatoes were plucked right from the vine ten minutes ago. We are so used to the boatloads of sodium and preservatives loaded into our American freezer-packed meals, that we don't realize how much these additives dull the taste of food. Which is such a shame because food... well, food is good. Just thinking back on it makes my mouth water, especially since I know that my next two meals today are coming from the five-star establishment known as the Diner.

Roman pizza is entirely different from what we're used to in the states. The crust is thin and crispy, almost like a cracker. One can easily finish an entire pizza because it's so light, and not to mention the most delicious pie specimen you will ever encounter. This is pizza verdure, or vegetable pizza, loaded with lots of fresh mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, lettuce and spinach. From our table, we could see the cooks efficiently chopping large crates of vegetables and putting them right onto the pizza dough. What's that - you don't have frozen toppings that are kept in the back freezer for months on end? What kind of restaurant is this?!

Seafood linguine and vino rosso at Piccola Roma. This was delicious - it had tons of clams, shrimp, squid, fish.... and it was such a steal for only 11 euro. Typically you can't find seafood dishes for less than 14 at least.

The best places to eat by far are the small trattorias, or small family owned establishments (in lieu of ristorantes, which are your typical waiter/hostess/mood music and wine places). A lot of trattorias have hand-written menus that change every day, which means they use whatever fresh ingredients are available that morning at the market. I love love love how authentic and traditional that is. Although these trattorias are usually humble, no-frills establishments that can't fit more than 20 people at a time, the food they serve is spectacular, and you feel like you're eating a home-cooked meal that's been made with fresh ingredients and lots of Italian love. At a trattoria in Florence, several people ordered the same chicken dish, and I commented that their meals probably came from the same bird that was just slaughtered in the back room that morning. (How's that for some food for thought?). This particular trattoria had a changing menu for lunch and dinner, and were only open for two hours or so for each meal time. They would make large quantities of the dishes they decided on, so service was quick and efficient.

Meals are structured differently than in the US: Breakfast is speedy, usually a shot of espresso and a pastry. Italians like eating sweets for breakfasts - I discovered some delicious cookies at the grocery store that I realize now were meant to be eaten for breakfast (no wonder the back of the package recommended pairing it with yogurt and coffee...). Italians don't do any of that savory American bacon nonsense - in fact, we saw a lot of restaurants offering "American breakfasts", complete with patriotic eggs, ham, and cheese (God Bless America). This was advertised alongside with the "Italian breakfast", which looked significantly less appetizing. Another difference: while you see most Americans cradling their Starbucks cups on the streets, Italians just usually down their colazione at cafes and then zoom off. We went to a well known Italian coffee shop, Tazzo D'Oro, on a weekday, and experienced the Italian way of breakfasting firsthand. There are no tables and only a few chairs, with a long counter spanning almost the entire area. You pay at the register in the back, and then hand your receipt to the barista as you claim a (standing) spot along the counter. The barista brings you your cappuccino and sfogliatelle, and you quickly fuel yourself with your daily caffeine and sugar quota. It's a very efficient way of serving - when you're done, you just wipe your mouth and leave, throwing a "ciao" over your shoulder as you head off to work.

Lunch in Italy is usually the heaviest meal of the day, and dinner is light. However, going out to dinner is an event. It's served late, around 7:30-9, and can last several hours. I don't think we ever got used to the late eating time, but this was how we characterized the touristy restaurants from the more authentic Roman restaurants. No place that serves real Italian food is open at 6:30PM, which is kind of unfortunate when your feeble American-trained stomach is grumbling. Therefore, we had many pre-dinner gelato appetizers to tide us over.

At restaurants, Italians usually have three main courses: antipasto (appetizer such as sliced meats and cheese or bruschetta), primo (first course, usually a pasta or rice dish), secondo (second course, usually a meat dish). This may also come with contorno, or a side dish such as vegetables, and dolce (sweets/dessert). As much as I like to eat, that's a whole lot of food for one digestive system, not to mention costly for my wallet to handle. Typically, we only ordered pasta when we ate out, but I think we all tried at least one secondo.

Now prepare yourself for an onslaught of food pictures.

Day 4 - Fountains of Rome

This is the Fountain of Four Rivers in the Piazza Navona, one of Bernini's masterpieces. The fountain portrays the four known continents, each of which represent a river (Europe = Danube, Asia = Ganges, Africa = Nile, and Americas = Plata). In the picture, you can't see the papal arms at the top of the obelisk, but that represents Christianity, and each continent is reacting differently to it (Europe = embracing, Asia = ignoring, Americas = astonished, Africa = unaware).

My friend Stephanie and I have an ongoing joke about one of our teachers in high school, who always had her "favorite lighthouse" as her laptop desktop picture. She was the most adorable Biology teacher in the history of Biology teachers, so this was all in fun. I don't know whether it was the early AM hour that was messing with our humor sensors or what, but we found it so precious that she had seen enough lighthouses in her life to even have a favorite one. However, after visiting over a dozen fountains in Rome itself, not to mention a motley of others on our day trips to surrounding villas... I think I can safely say that The Fountain of Four Rivers is my favorite Roman fountain.

However, the Trevi Fountain is definitely a close second on my list.

Tossing a coin in the fountain to ensure my return. I promise the coin is actually airborne/in the water and that I'm not just posing with my hand like that.

After our fountain adventure, we went to the Capitoline museum and saw ourselves some art.

Day 3 - Piazzas of Rome

Piazzas of Rome Day. But first, let's talk about food.

Every morning, there is an open market at the Campo de'Fiori, or "Field of Flowers", named that way because the area used to be a meadow. There are all sorts of stands selling fresh produce, dried fruit and nuts, pastas, oils and spices - every Italianesque product imaginable that makes you pine for access to a kitchen. This is also where we found the infamous penis pasta, so you know this market is legit.

Stole this picture of assorted jams from my friend Lisa's Facebook.

And the best part of the market, in my opinion? Two words: Free. Samples. There were so many varieties of vinaigrettes and pate spreads (including mushroom, truffle, artichoke, pesto) that you could try with crackers. And trust me, I tried a solid number of them, and they were spectacular. Not quite at the level of, "I would eat this straight from the jar with a spoon with no shame", but definitely getting there. There were also some strange alcoholic cream fusions that I probably should not have sampled first thing in the morning.

Then we took a trek around Rome to visit its many piazzas, or town squares, as well as the famous sites around the area. Some were big, some were small. Some [buildings in the piazza] were short, and some were tall. There were lots of piazzas in all.

Day 2 - The Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica

So, in Rome, it rains a lot. We were lucky and had fantastic weather for 90% of the trip, but we got our first taste of the Mediter"rain"ean (har har) on January 2nd. So, still jetlagged and not sleepy or hungry at the right times, we grabbed our umbrellas and made the trek to Vatican City early in morning.

The Tiber River runs through Rome, and across the river is Vatican City, the smallest independent state in the world. It measures only 0.17 square miles, but good God there's a lot to see. But first we have to get there.

This is the Castel Sant'Angelo, at the end of the Ponte Sant'Angelo (the bridge we're on). Originally a mauseleom for the emperor Hadrian, it was destroyed and reconstructed as a military fortress for the Pope.

By the time we made it to St. Peter's Piazza, we were practically trampling on people's feet (and getting trampled on ourselves), it was that crowded. As I mentioned before, tourists were flocking into the city to celebrate Epiphany, and of course, the Vatican is a must visit.

After waiting in a line that wound it's way around the Vatican museum, we finally got in. The collection of art there was astounding, and I'll leave it at that. I don't think anyone would appreciate it if I posted 30 blurry pictures of paintings and sculptures (courtesy of dim museum lighting and shaky camera hands). Dr. C and Marie (our TA) did an awesome job of explaining specific pieces of art, and I'm pretty sure everyone walked around the museum with their mouth ajar, awestruck.

Fun fact: we weren't allowed to take pictures of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Michelangelo's masterpiece. Everyone in the class assumed that this was for spiritual purposes - we had to maintain the sanctity of the space, this was a place for religious contemplation and its beauty should be maintained in one's memory, not in megapixels, etc. etc. Turns out, the actual reason is because a Japanese corporation that restores the ceiling has copyright claims over all photos of the chapel. That was mildly unexpected.

The chapel was supposed to be entirely silent, but of course is impossible when you have 400 excited tourists, with their necks craning upwards, ooh-ing and aww-ing below. Plus, since everyone's admiring the ceiling, people are always bumping into each other (a lot of "mi scusi"s and "mi dispiace"s were heard). There was also a guard whose sole purpose, I believe, was to "shush" the crowd every minute or so. Can you imagine if that was your full-time job? "So what do you do for a living?" "Oh, I calm the crowds at the Sistine Chapel."

Next stop: St. Peter's Basilica  

Day 1 - the Pantheon and assorted Roman roamings

When I look back on how I rang in 2012 (supposedly the last New Years I will celebrate according to the Mayans), I'll remember that I celebrated it:

a) on a plane
b) twice, and in two different time zones.

(My classmates and I joked about receiving complimentary champagne from the airline when we hit midnight, which led to a discussion about whether the American drinking age still applied or whether it was based on our destination or current airborne location, etc. etc. No champagne was served, but we did receive blueberry yogurt and an indestructible airline muffin.)

Of course, it's a bummer to miss out on the typical New Year festivities/debauchery, but hey! Totally worth it. Besides, in Rome, the center of Catholicism, New Year's isn't even that big of a deal. The Feast of Epiphany, January 6th, is when the city goes wild and the tourists flood into the streets so you can barely walk. Looking back, I can confirm this.

The first day was a bit of a blur. I remember getting off the plane and nursing my sore back. I remember getting onto a bus and commenting on how green Rome looked, even in January. Since we arrived at around 6:30 AM on New Year's Day, and the city was literally empty. Even Dr. C was astonished how vacant the streets were - roads that were typically pedestrian suicide traps were virtually deserted. The city was quiet, and we silently took it all in.

Our hotel was located literally around the corner from the Pantheon, pretty much right in the center of the city. For the next three weeks, the sight of the great round dome of the Pantheon was an indicator that we were home.

Obelisk and fountain in front of the Pantheon

Pantheon!

The hotel was a small, family-owned establishment, more of a bed-and-breakfast than anything. I admit, I had my concerns when the class was told that we were staying in a 1-star hotel for three weeks, but it was rated that way because it was simple, clean, and modest. No flat screen TVs or room service to boast, but it was clean and cozy, just as advertised.

After refueling our feeble, jetlagged bodies with coffee and Rosetta bread, we walked around the Pantheon neighborhood. Now, more people were beginning to venture out into the streets, but it was far from crowded. Everything was a blur, but we went to some key places that we would revisit later, including the Piazza Navona and the Campo di Fiori (or "Field of Flowers", where there is an open market every morning. Rome is famous for its piazzas, or city squares. They can range from the size of a college dorm room (such as the Piazza di St. Chiara near our hotel) or the size of a football field (like the Piazza del Popolo).

There were many stands set up in the Piazza Navona in preparation for Epiphany. I wish had tried a ciambelle, which are those Italian donuts on the left.

The layout of Rome is entirely different from the neat, organized United States metropolises that we are used to. Instead of neat parallel blocks intersecting at right angles, the roads of Rome twist and turn - sometimes you'll be walking on one road (or via) when it swerves sharply to the right, and bam, you're on a completely different street. The roads are also paved with cobblestone, which is possibly the most uncomfortable construction material I have ever set foot on. Ladies of Rome clinking around with high heels - I don't know how you do it.

After a brief power nap, we reconvened to see the city at night for the first time. Now, Rome at night is exquisite. There are twinkling holiday lights strung between small alleys, where natives and tourists stroll hand-in-hand, roaming the streets eating cones of gelato and enjoying the holiday sights. All the famous monuments are lit up with a soft glow (enough light to enchant you, but not enough light to properly capture the scene with my camera, unfortunately). And this is when we met our best friend Giolitti, one of Rome's best known gelato and pastry shops. Had my first taste of gelato, fell in love, considered relocating to Italy forever, etc. etc.. From that moment on, everyone on the trip learned to know the phrase "uno piccolo cono" ("one small cone") very very well.

back to the start

Home! Rome was absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to share stories and pictures with everyone. I've been keeping written accounts in my journal, but they're pretty much incomprehensible and need to be transcribed/expanded, but I am in the process of organizing pictures for day-by-day accounts (at least that's one advantage of waking up at 5AM due to jet lag).

Reflecting on my trip, I can't believe I spent three weeks in Rome. When I was looking at Winter term programs, there were several Italy options, some of which required traveling to and from multiple cities. Although that would have been incredible, I'm really glad that I ended up choosing this program because everyone got to know the city extremely well. We were loyal patrons of specific sandwich and coffee shops, we knew the fastest back-alley routes, we could navigate the streets without burying our noses in guidebooks. Looking back on the free map I got from the hotel on the first day, now scuffed at the edges and marked up with my own notes ("best gelato", "coffee", "heaven on earth pastry shop"), it's remarkable how much of the city we have seen in three weeks. On our last day, my roommate and I were taking one final walk around the Piazza Navona to look at the street art vendors. As we thumbed through watercolor depictions of famous Roman sites, we could name practically every single one, and we knew how to get there from our hotel. And coming from someone who sometimes has trouble driving out of parking lots, that's pretty impressive.

That whole afternoon was a day of lasts. One last group pasta dinner, one last pastry run, one last cone of gelato. I had my usual double chocolate mix: regular ciocolatto and bacio, which means "kiss". A guy who worked there explained to me (with the most precious Italian accent) that it was milk chocolate with nuts... so I'm thinking maybe it's Hershey's Kiss ice cream spinoff? 

Roma, I will miss you! I will miss your beautiful piazzas and equally beautiful and well-dressed European men. Your delicious tomato sauces and fresh loaves of bread and dangerously strong Italian coffee. Your ornate Baroque churches and magnificent Ancient ruins.

(I will not miss your uncomfortable cobblestone roads and tobacco infused city air.)

I will miss your fast talking natives and street performers. Your mineral water and vino rosso. Your laid-back spirit and culture. I will miss seeing the Via del Corso lit up at night with the colors of the Italian flag and the soft, enchanting glow of St. Peter's Basilica.

I would love to go back to Rome one day, to explore the streets once more and see how things have changed (if can still remember routes!) Good thing I threw a coin in the Trevi fountain to ensure my return! Ciao for now!

pantheon

The Pantheon, originally part of the bath complex of Agrippa in Ancient Rome, was reconstructed by the emperor Hadrian as a place of worship for the seven main Roman gods (the name literally means, "all the Gods".) It was reconsecrated as a Catholic church in 609 for St. Mary, and is now known as "Santa Maria ad Martyres", or "St. Mary of the Martyrs".

Famous Italians buried in the Pantheon include Vittorio Emmanuel II, who unified Italy, and Raphael, the esteemed Renaissance painter.

The inscription on Raphael's tomb in the Pantheon reads, "Here lies Raphael, by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared that she herself would die."

checking in

I know I promised to keep everyone updated about my trip (shamelessly advertising this blog using every form of social media possible)... but obviously that didn't happen. My excuse for my lack of writing: its a combination of having jam-packed schedules, spotty hotel wi-fi on my phone, and a general lack of interest in sitting down in front of a screen gushing about how spectacular Rome is when I could be outside experiencing how spectacular Rome is myself. So yeah, I absolve myself from blame. Kind of.

Basically, I'm really sorry I've been MIA, and I promise to write more in-depth, day-by-day accounts of Roma when I get home. I've been writing in my paper journal everyday, but I need some time to synthesize everything so it's somewhat coherent. I'll have pictures too, since now I can only share a handful of shots I have on my phone. But for now, some general thought about being abroad:

Rome is indescribably beautiful, and just altogether different from life in the United States. The culture here is very laid back, much more so than the quintessential American metropolis. One pictures New York City as an urban bubble of organized chaos. It has a hustle-bustle, "I need to be on Wall Street in 10 minutes don't you dare get in my way" feel. Rome, however, comprises a more relaxed chaos. Yes, the streets are crowded and the lively in the same spirited fashion, but if you look closer, if you explore the city for a few days, you'll notice a definite difference. Trains are always delayed. Buses are late. Shops and restaurants close without warning - I had such an ordeal buying stamps - the owner of the tabacchi (a small cornerstore), albeit friendly, seemed to completely disregard opening and closing hours. Dr. C, our instructor, always jokes that here, the Italians' favorite word is "domani", or "tomorrow!" Everyone here just accepts it as part of Italian culture - if things don't work out, we'll just try again later. Dr. C has adopted the same mindset when instructing, since he has come to expect obstacles (certain wings of palaces marked off for renovation, museums closing early for the holiday, etc.) We're "planning to improvise" almost, and living the Italian way. I think it's quirky how light-hearted the attitude is, as it is decidedly different from the precise structured schedules I am accustomed to. Admittedly, I would get incredibly pissed off living here, but during my brief sojourn in Italy, I'm going to go with it.

The class is dedicated to Baroque art, architecture, and urban planning, so we have been visiting a lot of churches, palazzos (palaces), and art gallerias, all the while taking note of the various locations of the buildings and now the pope's influence in urban development impacted Rome's image. I've never taken a class like it before, and the structure of the course really helps me get a distinct picture of what life was like in 17th century Rome. We have lectures and presentations right often right in front of the monuments of interest, or in the piazza designed by a papal architect that we're focusing on that lesson. It's an experience unlike no other - there are some aspects of the subject that cannot be expressed through PowerPoint slides or diagrams or even words. For instance, looking down at the city of Rome from the top of Janiculum Hill is someone that has to be experienced firsthand. Janiculum Hill is the second tallest hill in Rome, located across the Tiber River in Trastevere. (However, its not one of the original "seven hills of Rome" because it's located outside the city limits of Ancient Rome.) The view is absolutely breathtaking, and no amount of pretty prose or high definition photos can articulate the feeling of breathing crisp winter air, away from the cigarette smoke bedlam of the city. The feeling of being so far from everything, yet a part of it at the same time. From our location, we could even pick out monuments that we had previously visited - the Vittorio Emmanuel II monument, the Colosseum, the Spanish steps, the Pantheon. Being able to take in a view like that was definitely one of the most memorable experiences I've had here.

It's January 11th, so we have officially passed the halfway mark of this trip. It's been an eventful week and a half, and I can't wait for what is to come! Arrivederci for now!