It's crazy how long the weekends feel here and yet, when class comes, it feels like I was just there. I think I have figured out why this is the case: so many of my classes use Rome or Italy as a backdrop. Italian? Naturalmente. But my other ones too: Medieval Roman Art and Architecture, we're on site visits all the time, going every week at least once to a new place here in Roma, so the line between class and life is more blurred. Culture and Identity illustrates Italian life, so it's teaching about what's going on around me, and Science and Religion has really taught me just about everything I've wanted to know and filled in a ton of gaps in my knowledge about Catholicism.
But anyway, the weekend comes first. I realized I have taken to blogging every other day recently, but it's just been about being busy and lacking the time. But every blog now should be more jam packed with photos and excitement, and I probably will post close to daily for the next week or so.
Saturday was Chad's birthday, and he really wanted to go to the Bioparco, or the zoo, here in Roma. Don't ask, I don't know why either, but it was fun. The group of people who went was a bit different and not people I'd normally hang out with other than him, but that's ok. Meeting new people is a good thing. To meet up, we went to Piazza del Popolo, which is a major Piazza here in Roma that for some reason or another, I've just never been to. Go figure. But we got over there and had a bit of lunch at a cafe, and I ordered in Italian. The guy in there was like "oh! You speak Italian?" (in Italian of course) and asked me next if I was Tedesco, or German. I was like, um, no. Sono Americano. This confused him mightely, as Americans aren't supposed to speak Italian. Which got me thinking for a minute why U.S. schools offer French and German but not Italian. He spoke really rapidly but I got most of it and I was happy that my comprehension is hanging in there.
The Piazza is really cool, and there is a really old, slick marble staircase that leads to the Giardino
Borghese, or the Borghese Gardens, here in Roma. They're pretty much like Central Park: huge and lots of trees. But from above you can see the Piazza and it's really cool. There's a really huge Obelisk in the middle from Egypt to an Emperor and it's got Hieroglyphics on it, and I thought to myself "wow, I'll be seeing a lot more of those soon!"Because I will be. In EGYPT.
But back to the Zoo. We walked through the Borghese gardens and I was thoroughly impressed. I miss seeing grass. Or trees. Or nature in general. Roma is ALL buildings and apartments and history, a real demonstration of Mankind's power, which is great and all, but nature is so limited, it's a little sad in some ways. The gardens were beautiful, but I found it very fitting that the zoo, where wildlife is caged and on display, is located in the designated place for nature, which is walled in and feels a little unnatural. I don't know if that makes sense, but it did to me anyway.
The zoo was certainly pretty cool, but Portland's zoo isn't too shabby either. Over here they had much more of a global setup, including Austrailia and South America and lots more on Asia,
which Portland does not do too much of really. I thought of Josh the entire time, since they had Tapirs and Capybara that I didn't recognize immediately and I knew he would've been Johnny-on-the-spot as far as names go.We spent about two hours there, and probably my favorite things there were the Monkey exhibits (which they had seriously like 50 monkeys in a huge environment doing whatever it is that monkies do) and the giraffes, as they had two adolescents that were pretty darn adorable. They look so little and yet they're huge, it's a fun dichotomy. They had lemurs that were pretty funny too; they came up to the glass and interacted and it was funny to see the kids having a blast. Finally, they had Camels, and I had my second "holy cow I'm going to EGYPT this month!" (and for your information, EGYPT shall forever be capitalized since it is that darn cool).
Ok, I'm majorly frustrated since my pictures will not upload on here and it's making me upset, since I have so many pictures I want to share with you all over the course of this blog. Bear with me; I'll get them up in the future, hopefully tonight if the internet stops being mean to poor old me and my camera.
But yes, that really wrapped up Saturday. I came back and there was a free concert of John Legend and the Cure, but it was so crowded and smoky and terribly insane I heard that I'm not too sad I missed it. I slept well and got up at my own time on Sunday, and Chad, Bert and I decided to head to Lago di Bracciano, or the lake of strong arms, which is about 30km to the north of dear old Roma. It was a cheap train ride (like 5 euro round trip) and there was supposed to be a really awesome castle there, so we decided it was totally worth the few hour trip. So, we loaded up with readings and cameras and tried out a new station and headed up there.
It was great to see more of Roma. The outskirts are a bit rougher, and the locals are interesting to watch outside the walls. Bracciano is out of the city a ways into the country, and those of you who've spent any time in the Gorge or Eastern Oregon, it's really, really climate and scenic similar. Beautiful sweeping hills and water, greens and yellows mixed with fall reds, and just the feeling that you're away from the hustle and bustle of life. Plus, it was a bit like home in a weird way.
The town was adorable: old, rustic, and had a huge old castle there that looked straight out of Medieval times because. . . well, it is. Can't beat authentic! There was a weekend market going on, selling tons of things no one ever needs and other trinkets, but there were some really cool things there too, like wine glass holders built out of stumps and gnarled wood, which were really interesting and locally made. But the castle called. It said it was free to go in on our flyer from
our study center.It was not.
We were mad.
It was 7 euro. That is certainly not free. So what'd we do? Sneak in, of course. Or at least attempt to. There was the group of 60 and 70 year old Frenchies going in, so we just wandered in like we belonged (and we stuck out terribly, I'm sure, but imagine three early 20's guys trying to look casual in a big group of old French tourists. Go ahead, laugh, I did).
We got into the courtyard and the head of their group stopped us and told us it was a French group. I responded quickly that we spoke French (in French) and that we just thought we'd come along, and she responded in very rapid French saying it was ok, but needed our tickets, which, of course, we didn't have. I responded (now imagine: I've purged French accents and words from my diction in an attempt to speak better Italian, and I was rapidly trying to re-learn Francais) that we were told it was free for students and that we were just hoping to get on with them and Chad and Bert looking confused as all get out. Good times.
She told us we had to have tickets and shooed us away, but not before we took as many pictures as we could. An Italian guide, a worker for the castle, came up and yelled at us in Italian saying where we were wasn't on the way to the exit, and I quickly wheeled back to Italian as best I could, saying we thought it was free and we were going to leave now, and he muttered something about "stupid English" and I laughed since 1. I spoke good enough French to appear as if I was fluent 2. I covered for Chad and Bert who repeatedly asked me what I said and 3. we looked British in the act. Really a win-win-win.
I think I'm going to stop here due to my pictures being silly and not being able to post as many as I'd like; St. Giovanni in Laterno can come tonight / tomorrow, and trust me, those pictures are awesome.
I hope you all have a fantastic Monday, and until next time,
Ciao.
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