RoMa, Ro Ma Ma

Welp! Finally made it to Rome! First stop The Colosseum. Not going to lie, it was pretty amazing stepping out of the train station and being completely overwhelmed by an architectural masterpiece. Pretty much the only thing I could do was smile, well until I discovered that I left my SD card in my laptop.... Luckily someone had an extra with them. THANK YOU LYNDSEE!!! A day in Rome without a camera would have been a shame. So after the Colosseum, we walked to Circus Maximus, or whats left of it anyway. Which is pretty much just some gravel and a dog park... Definitely no chariot races happening anymore these days. Next stop was Capitoline hill - not as impressive as one would think... But..... The Pantheon was freakin amazing! Definitely no disappointments there. We finished up the official school tour there and then the group split up. From there, most of the girls and I walked along the river toward the Vatican. We didn't get to go inside because time was limited, but it was beautiful! After getting yelled at by a mean scarf man that was upset about his prices being too high and getting mocked by some ass handing out fliers, we made our way to the Spanish Steps and then from there to the Trevi Fountain. By that time we were all so tuckered out from walking a good 10 miles all over Rome that all we wanted to do was sit and drink some wine. So we found a little Italian restaurant on the way back to the train station and filled up on pasta and wine. Then it was back to the train and back to Orvieto. My lumpy bed never felt so good....

Stinky Sweater

Last week Lyndsee and I made our way to the market. We didn't have to make our way too much since the market is directly outside our door. Each week the shoe man gets closer and closer to our front door... But anyway, I found a sweater man and I decided to check out some cheap "high Italian quality" clothing. I ended up finding two acceptable sweaters that, at the time, I just couldn't live without. After squeezing our way back into our apartment, I noticed a certain pungent smell. The source: the "one size fits all sweater." Oo! Forgot to mention that. I bought a one size fits all sweater. Bet ya didn't know that was possible! Anyway, it smelled like flea market. So naturally, my first instinct was, "no big deal... I'll wash it." Baaaad Idea... The stinky sweater came out of the washer smelling like a perm gone wrong. So today was market day again. Even though it was still pretty damp from the washer - keep in mind... no dryers here - I took it back down to the market in hopes of returning it. I was a bit worried as I'm not completed schooled in market etiquette yet. I feared the "buy at your own risk" rule applied to sketchy markets. However, expecting the worst paid off. The nice market man, let me exchange the stinky sweater for something else. So for the 22 Euro stinky sweater, Lyndsee and I got matching purple sweaters and I got one more red sweater, all of which we smelled before buying. And as we searched for these new sweaters, I watched the sweater man put the stinky sweater back on the hanger and out for another unsuspecting buyer to purchase. I hope that sweater brings someone else the same joy it brought to my, now ammonia/surfur free, apartment. Good luck future stinky sweater owner... Good luck

Old Panini Man

And on the 2nd day, the panini was made.

In the short week that we have been here, we have come to absolutely adore the little old panini man, Giovani. On the second day we were here, we went into his store to buy a sandwich. The sandwich is simple, usually just some sort of meat like proscuitto or salami and some sort of cheese usually pecorino. No mayo, no mustard, just dry, but it is pretty delicious. Giovani is what really keeps us coming back though. Whether it is for a panini or his wife's little wine shop next door, we are in there almost everyday. And bonus, he knows my sandwich of choice now! (i go there more than anyone...haha) So now the language barrier is no longer an issue. The other day, Giovani was telling us about this little book he keeps. He learns english phrases to say to better communicate with the american students, and then he writes them over and over again in a little book to remember them. I think I'm going to have to start doing this so that I can talk to Giovani a little more. I think I need an Italian grandpa...

1st Day of School

Almost forgot that we actually have to attend classes... This is going to put a damper on my vacation. Not to mention the weather today. blegh! I won't complain too much though because I am in Italy. Its much better than being stuck in Kansas with crappy weather. Had our first class today, learned about the Mafia. Couldn't go to Italy without getting schooled on that. Mafia comes from Mafioso which means handsome. And that was who the southern Italians hired to do their dirty work; the handsome young men. Fun little fact for today :) In aboot 30 minuti, I'm off to studio to get the 411 for the first project. And that's when it is really going to sink in that I'm actually here for school. Such a sad sad realization. On a happier note: I have a cell phone now! It costs a buns load, (thanks for the vocabulary I've acquired Mr. Harmon) but it does make contacting people a tad easier. However, if people from home call me, it costs me nada. So you all should go out, buy an international phone card, and do that! :) Which brings me to my next topic: 7 hour time difference from CST.

Rainboots were a good choice.

2 blogs in one day! what!?!? yes, you are getting quite the treat today ;) Market day! Cheese and prosciutto as far as the eye can see! Had to purchase both of course. I also purchased a couple of sweaters. One happens to be quite stinky. Mmmm… Yummy market smell. Also bought some flowers to liven up the sterile nature of the apartment. Not sure what they are, but they are beautiful and smell much better than my new sweater. Now off to Scallo Orvieto or “Lower Orvieto” at the bottom of the hill to fetch some groceries from the supermercato. I haven’t decided yet if things are expensive or cheap. You can get a bottle of wine for 1 Euro, yet a bag frozen peas is 4 Euros… I guess I’ll be filling up on wine. Haha.The rest of today was full of walking and rain, the greatest combination since lamb and tuna fish. Or maybe peanut butter and jelly is something you're more familiar with? We took the train down to the bottom of the cliff to the supermarket. Oh what a great expedition that was. Miles of walking, 3 wrong turns, and directions from 4 strangers later and we made it! Fruits, veggies and wine galore. And wine really is cheaper than water. I think what is going to break me though is the twice daily latte macchiato at the cafe to access the internet. Thank goodness the man here recognizes us. Discounts are starting to float our way :) Tonight Lyndsee and I got complimentary cookies with our Lattes. Thank you Antoni! Another place I'm going to be a big supporter of is this little sandwich shop. The sandwiches are quite delicious, but mostly because the little old man is just so darn cute. He's very sweet, and every time we walk by he gives us the biggest smile and waves. So far, we have been very fortunate in the people we have met. All have been very welcoming and have made us feel like we are part of the community. It's already apparent that leaving will be bitter-sweet...

Thus Far

We arrived in Rome around 7:15 the morning of the 18th. After waiting until almost 9:30, for a bus finally came to get us from the airport. From there we were taken to Orvieto. I was surprised to see how high up the town was. I knew it was a hill town, but for a Kansas girl, this seemed more like a mountain. So far I really like the city. Everything is old, of course, and beautiful. When we arrived in Orvieto, we were taken to our new apartments. The bedrooms are large, so sharing a room isn’t much of an issue. The kitchen is of a decent size, but there is no living room. However, we discovered that there is a rooftop terrace that is open to all tenants. Showering isn’t as comfortable as it was back in the states. The hot water lasted maybe 3 minutes. Other than that, everything is great so far. However, I do miss Mr. Harmon quite a bit already. It will be a long 4 months. May should hurry up!