So today was extremely productive in many ways. Productive academically, culturally and entertainmently. I woke up and immediately started finishing up my paper for my European Union Defense Policies course. I reached under my bed, grabbed my laptop and didn't get out of bed until it was finished. I just had to put some finishing touches and editing on it and it was my last assignment of the Spring 2011 semester. I submitted my final 4500 word Archaeology paper yesterday on Trepanation Motivations (pretty interesting topic..ish) and then this 3000 worder today for EU class on the effectiveness of anti-terrorism policies. Of course I wrote the main draft about a week and a half ago so considering last Sunday's events, I had to go through and redo my end section that stated there has been no significant events in relation terrorism in the last few years. Great timing Obama. Anyways, that one is all done now too. So I showered up, got my flannel on for flannel Friday and went downstairs to the bar for a panino and cappuccino at the bar I always go to. Prosciutto e fromaggio panino, as always, he doesn't even need to ask me about that anymore either. Can you tell that I like that part about these local places? I talked to him about the strike that was supposedly going on today for transit but he said the tram downtown would be running anyways so I took the tram to the Education Ministry to begin my day.
After getting off there and walking across the river I went to Aventine Hill. One of the original 7 hills of Rome along with Capitoline Hill, Palentine Hill et all. After wandering around the hill and park area (it's a really green are like the other hills) I finally found what I was looking for. Piazza Cavalieri di Malta or better known as being the keyhole to Rome. It's a hole in a door that when you look through, has an amazing view of a beautiful garden with St. Peter's situated dead center in the distance. I had heard it was better than you'd think from pictures but boy was that true. I'll post the pictures anyways, but this is something you just have to see in person (sorry for the 90% of people that read this who don't live within walking distance of it..) After that I went into a neat church up on the hill that was of course well over a thousand years old. The church, just like the keyhole, was empty of tourists. It was surprising but refreshing that the whole area up on Aventine was empty of tourists, I was the only person in the church so I had some good alone reflection time there. Then as I was leaving I walked through the park that had an incredible view and some kids celebrating someones birthday with a picnic. They were Italian but were tossing a football (odd) but anyways it rolled over to me at one point and I got to throw it which felt awesome, I miss football (you better get this lockout solved Goodell).
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| Bocca dell Verita |
I strolled down the hill towards downtown and finally got to the bottom right where it meets the Circus Maximus which I actually hadn't ever been to yet. Not much to see, at all. After taking a picture and watching the workers packing up all the stuff all the way from the vigil held there last Saturday night for the Beatification ceremony (Roman workers are slow..) I was on my way up along there river to hit up the Bocca della Verita. Insane long line for that so I just took a picture and kept going. Myth is that if you stick your hand in it and have lied it'll bite it off. I didn't have anyone to take my picture with it and I didn't want to take my chances with my hand. I then went across the street to San Nicolo in Carcere which was a real cool church with dungeons underground that I went into. I was the only person in the church or the dungeons (it's a shame tourists never make it out of just seeing the Pantheon, Colosseum and Trevi), well not a shame, I loved being uncrowded, but a shame that they don't see anything else. I'll admit, the dungeons underneath the church were pretty dark and there were actual bones laying around from thousand of years ago so it did get a little creepy at some points. It's okay, nothing like using your cell phone as a flashlight when it gets too dark.
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| Dungeons and Bones |
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| Teatro Marcello |
After I left there, I went and walked through the Teatro Marcello archaeological area which was real cool. Keep in mind, I had never done any of this stuff before today, it was all new to me. Marcello is better known for fooling stupid tourists into almost thinking that it is the Colosseum.
It fooled me the first time the bus drove by it in February.. So I walked around there and then ended up in the Jewish Ghetto which was all part of the plan because I wanted to go to this bar in Piazza Mattei that was supposedly really really great.
They were closed. I went into another bar and asked for something "Jewish and good tasting", got some type of cookie, not bad. Moving on towards Largo Argentina, the tram end of the line stop with the cat sanctuary, I went up Via Vittorio Emanuele to check out San Andrea della Valle, a church I walk by millions of times on way to Piazza Navona but have never gone in.
It was closed.. No problem, I went over to Piazza Navona, which I'm going to go out and make official now and say it is my favorite place in Rome. I know, it's touristy blah blah blah, but I love just sitting down there with a gelato or drink and watching all the people go by. Not to mention that Bernini's fountains are incredible and there's millions of cool street vendors. I bought some souvenir pictures there and just walked among all the vendors for a real long time. I asked the guy I bought from where I could buy a belt that was blue with the Italian flag going around it. I've wanted one this whole trip, they look so cool, but I can't find them anywhere! He said to go to Campo dei Fiori which I did but failed. I must have gone in about 20 shops between there and Via del Corso, where I then went into easily almost 50 places looking for this belt. Most I knew immediately didn't sell what I was looking for and others when I asked I'd just get a flat out no. A few times I was told that "We only sell fashionable belts here", #stuckup. I seriously spent over 2 hours walking up and down Corso looking for this belt. Such a crushing blow that I couldn't find it. It wasn't time wasted though because I had fun, of course walked by famous sites on the way (Trevi, Colanno, Vit-Eman etc) #nbd, but I was bummed I never found it.
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| Piazza Navona |
After buying another souvenir on the way home, so cool looking!, I came home, cooked up some pasta (surprise) and watched about 10 episodes of the office. My friend Eran here just pointed out to me that there's a website (other than Hulu which doesn't work here) that lets you watch TV episodes online for free, so I resisted using it last week because I needed to do my papers but since I'm home free now (except exams, that's next weeks problem) I figured I'd reward myself. So now I'm officially caught up on all office episodes and have some very strong opinions on some of the stuff that went down. That about covers my Friday. Tomorrow is the AS Roma v AC Milan game that I'm going to with a bunch of friends, should be a great time!
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| Souvenir Picture From Via del Corso |
Ciao Ciao for now. Let's Go O's!
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