First day of class

So sorry today's post isn't going to be riveting like the others, I actually have class now.

Bummer? Sorta. I like exploring. But kind of awesome to get it started? You bet.

Today, I believe, is going to be a little about my classes and a little about my commute, which has pretty pictures, so there's that to keep my picture fans out there satiated, and I know that's more exciting, but it can't be all excitement I guess.

So class. I got up, chatted online and said goodnight to KK (who leave in 6 days! Yay for her!) and took a quick shower and ate to get out of here by about 8:45 to get to class at 9:30. My building is a ways away, and I thought I'd give you a little insight into my daily travels to and from school. The study center is across the Tiber and near Piazza Navone, or the place that houses the Quattro Fiuri (aka the Four Rivers fountain . . . for those of you who've read Angels and Demons, it's where the water killing occurs). But to get there, I have to leave the Prati neighborhood where I live. This picture is the scene outside my apartment, literally as soon as you hit the street. I'm on the third floor, but our front door of the building leads out to this madness on Via Candia. Rome is busy, filled with buses, cars, and about 50% of the vehicles are scooters, like Vespas, only a bit cheaper. Economical and chic, they are probably the prefered way to travel in Rome for a Roman.

But I turn right out of my apartment and head up Candia for about 6 blocks and take a right, leading me towards a large Piazza, but not until after you pass by the Vatican walls, which are in the picture to the left. Enlarge it to see, but the Vatican is literally surrounded by walls, and they're very steep and very tall. Pope's gotta be protected people! Swiss guards and their fancy getups, the walls, the metal detectors . . . he's pretty safe.

But yes, I go into a large piazza that is absolutely filled with tourists, who I mentioned yesterday I have begun to resent. For the most part. Some are respectful, but more often than not, they're loud and seemingly disrespecting of such a pretty place. Anyway, not my place to say, but it's worth mentioning. These tourist seasons beget large stands that sell beer, drinks, water, and some food for ridiculous sums of money and look a little something like the stand to the right. And as a rule of thumb, you can tell if it's for tourists if it's in English. Don't know if that says anything about it, but take it for what you will. They're everywhere.

But after that Piazza, you head straight away into the Vatican, with St. Pietro's Basilica and out again about a minute (or 10) later after you can pry yourself away from its grandeur. So, if you're counting, that's two countries in my commute to school, which makes it me seem like a total beast of a traveler and I like the sound of that. But you head down this little channel and reach the basilica and it's breathtaking, as always, and in day one's blog, there are many pictures of it, but just in case you've forgotten, I've included another because hey, that's just the kind of guy I am.

The, it's down Via St. Pietro and all the embassies that line the way to reach a bridge across the Tiber, which is located right next to Castel Sant'Angelo, the Castel I visited yesterday and has gained a special place in my heart since I feel like it's some kind of secret. It's not, but I like to think of it as such.

You cross the bridge and there are beautiful statues lining both sides and when you cross it leaves you this nice little view back to it and it makes me shake my head every time I see it, it's just so cool that it's on my walk to school, it takes a little time to digest something like that. In fact, it's hard to remember that sometimes that I go to school in Rome, it's just so unfathomable in some ways that when you really think about it, it's hard to conceptualize. Views like that certainly make it seem more real. But after that walk, you just keep walking for about 5 blocks, turn left and walk about 4 more and you're there. All in all, about a 35-40 minute commute, but I know some people have worse. And my building is just right there. It's pretty cool that I live on such a cool route to head to school, and it even sounds cool: walk to the Vatican, go straight from there to Castel Sant'Angelo, and then cross the Tiber and 9 blocks through Rome to class.

I'm not complaining. 2 Countries and a river to cross, awesome.

But yes, then class. It was over 3 hours of just Italian, and in 3 hours, I've really picked up a lot. I mean, I learned to count to 100, ask some basic questions, and learned about 50 words of vocabulary, pretty handy stuff to know. We learned about food since tomorrow we go to an open air market to test our skills, so that'll be fun to post.

And I went to lunch afterwards with a few people and ate a ton of Prosciutto e Formaggio and had a huge coke for 8 Euro . . . learning how to eat cheaper. It's a good thing. But I've gotta bail for dinner, free one on the school tonight so I've gotta go. But I'll leave you with a cool picture from the bridge. It's one of a dozen on the bridge. In public. Not even in a museum.

Yup. This is where I live.

Ciao.l