Delayed postings because Italy is just too beautiful. And Franzen's "Freedom" is taking up way to much of my time (He messed up molto facts about both St. Paul and DC, next time you're writing a novel, Mr. Franzen, please do more research than just reading the Wiki page for STP. The Star Tribune delivered to a STP address? Come on.)
Life in Roma only becomes crazier with this lovely weather we're having. Mid 60s and sunny all week. Winning.
Last Thursday was (in addition to being Saint Patrick's day) the 150th anniversary of Italian Unification. It, unfortunately, poured all day on Wednesday; the fireworks that we're supposed to go off at midnight weren't lit off but there were Italian flags hanging outside of most businesses on Marconi and little kids had their faces painted with Red, White and Green. Most billboards and flyers up around Rome somehow mentioned the unification and even though it is still a slightly touchy subject for many Italians it was very cool to be here for their cinquecentennial.
Midterms finished last week and I'm not failing anything yet (even finance! But only with the insane curve he had to tack onto all of our abysmal grades) but I'm still exhausted after cramming half a semester's worth of business definitions into my head. I'm also just exhausted. It comes and goes it waves, sometimes life here is the most amazing thing in the world and other days I just come home from class ready to crawl into bed and sleep for the next two days. Walking to class today with Alice I took off my sunglasses and let the warm Mediterranean sun wash over me. There is something about the sum here that is different from anywhere else; it's warmed, yellower, casts it's light in a more pleasing way that makes all colors brighter and everything taste better.
More importantly, the Morizio family will be landing in Roma on Saturday! I'm excited to see them all and have Daniel translate all of the Latin I can't quite seem to translate with my less than perfect knowledge I received from Brother David. We head down to Sorrento next weekend to see Pompeii and Herculaneum and to make sure there are NO roman carriages stuck in any ditches. If we find any we will rescue all members of the Cornelii family from the million or so chapters they spent stuck in ditches.
When I went down to Pong tonight after dinner they gave me a super large cup for the usual 1.50 Euro small price and from what I understood of the conversation that took place between the woman scooping my Gelato and the owner behind the cash register they were worried because they hadn't seen me in a week or so. Crema and pinoli. So many noms.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
"a great frenchy-french time"
Paris was pretty rad.
I ventured outside of the bubble of Italia for the weekend to go see some of my favorite people ever up in France.
Highlights included:
Kelsey and I got carded (is that even a thing in Europe? Apparently.)
I got to see so much Dante related art! Which I was not expecting - this was supposed to be a Dante free weekend but, alas, I can't seem to escape him. Not that I mind. We're basically dating.
We got into the Louvre for free which was terribly exciting.
Bread. Italy has amazing bread but, God, it's so good in Paris. Along with foie gras and champagne on a park next to Notre Dame. This category includes croissants (side note, always book a hostel next to a bakery)
Paris is so different from Rome. Besides the physical differences, the foremost being that Paris is just so damn beautiful, your eyes almost hurt from all the beauty, it's a totally different city. But the green - everything is so wonderful and green. I couldn't believe how green it was, parks everywhere. Rome has it's fair share of Piazzas but Paris is almost more green than brick. It's just such a different place. Plus it's metro is efficient and actually goes places.
But it's good to be back in Roma. This week is midterms week so that's hellish but the four I've had so far, with the exception of Finance, have been fine.
Thursday is Unification Day which is this contested issue in Italy. There is still this huge divide here about what it means to be Italian and there is still tension that stems from the Savoy invasion 150 years ago. I was walking to class on Monday and I was struck by all these Italian flag, freshly opened from bags and most still with deep creases, that were suddenly flying all up and down Marconi. It's not quite as festive as early July at home but you can tell something is happening. On Wednesday night there are several large celebrations planned in the bigger piazzas and up in old Rome with fireworks and such so that should be fun.
It feels like spring has finally arrived, it was almost 70 out today and the sun was shining. This is, of course, a tease as it is supposed to pour for the next two weeks. I took extra time walking along the Tiber today on my way to my exam, some of the trees on my block are in full bloom and the pink blossoms are beautiful against the concrete and graffiti.
The title of this post comes from my Mother via Mad TV (which is scary, I know). It was, indeed, a lovely frenchy-french time.
I ventured outside of the bubble of Italia for the weekend to go see some of my favorite people ever up in France.
Highlights included:
Kelsey and I got carded (is that even a thing in Europe? Apparently.)
I got to see so much Dante related art! Which I was not expecting - this was supposed to be a Dante free weekend but, alas, I can't seem to escape him. Not that I mind. We're basically dating.
We got into the Louvre for free which was terribly exciting.
Bread. Italy has amazing bread but, God, it's so good in Paris. Along with foie gras and champagne on a park next to Notre Dame. This category includes croissants (side note, always book a hostel next to a bakery)
Paris is so different from Rome. Besides the physical differences, the foremost being that Paris is just so damn beautiful, your eyes almost hurt from all the beauty, it's a totally different city. But the green - everything is so wonderful and green. I couldn't believe how green it was, parks everywhere. Rome has it's fair share of Piazzas but Paris is almost more green than brick. It's just such a different place. Plus it's metro is efficient and actually goes places.
But it's good to be back in Roma. This week is midterms week so that's hellish but the four I've had so far, with the exception of Finance, have been fine.
Thursday is Unification Day which is this contested issue in Italy. There is still this huge divide here about what it means to be Italian and there is still tension that stems from the Savoy invasion 150 years ago. I was walking to class on Monday and I was struck by all these Italian flag, freshly opened from bags and most still with deep creases, that were suddenly flying all up and down Marconi. It's not quite as festive as early July at home but you can tell something is happening. On Wednesday night there are several large celebrations planned in the bigger piazzas and up in old Rome with fireworks and such so that should be fun.
It feels like spring has finally arrived, it was almost 70 out today and the sun was shining. This is, of course, a tease as it is supposed to pour for the next two weeks. I took extra time walking along the Tiber today on my way to my exam, some of the trees on my block are in full bloom and the pink blossoms are beautiful against the concrete and graffiti.
The title of this post comes from my Mother via Mad TV (which is scary, I know). It was, indeed, a lovely frenchy-french time.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
"And then away to Venice"
We've traded Beyonce for Shakespeare.
Venice is insane. The only way I can really describe it is this weird adult version of Disney World because there simply aren't words that I can use to describe this place. It's so strange. Nothing about the city makes sense. Nothing. You take boats instead of busses. Buildings literally are built up against the sea, foundations sink into the water, houses are connected by bridges. It's beautiful, incredibly beautiful and unlike any other place I've ever seen or will see.
Being there for carnival was amazing. Saint Marks square was a sea (hahaha, see what I did there?) of people, Dad and I weren't masquerading and that drew strange looks, not the other way around. People in full renaissance dress and elaborate masks were seated at tables next to us in restaurants, men had powered faces and women hid behind fans. There was music blaring in the streets/canals, dancing in the campos, it was unlike anything I've ever seen. I can't even describe it with words. It's insane. Absolutely insane.
So Dad and I ate and drank and ate some more. I introduced him to frappe but sadly it will be all gone come Wednesday. We went to Harry's Bar and drank Belini and people watched and ate such good food. It was lovely. And my train ride back to Roma today was quite; an almost nice change from the insanity of Carnival. It was amazing though. It was insane and crazy and so different from anything else in the world. And it was beautiful.
Venice is insane. The only way I can really describe it is this weird adult version of Disney World because there simply aren't words that I can use to describe this place. It's so strange. Nothing about the city makes sense. Nothing. You take boats instead of busses. Buildings literally are built up against the sea, foundations sink into the water, houses are connected by bridges. It's beautiful, incredibly beautiful and unlike any other place I've ever seen or will see.
Being there for carnival was amazing. Saint Marks square was a sea (hahaha, see what I did there?) of people, Dad and I weren't masquerading and that drew strange looks, not the other way around. People in full renaissance dress and elaborate masks were seated at tables next to us in restaurants, men had powered faces and women hid behind fans. There was music blaring in the streets/canals, dancing in the campos, it was unlike anything I've ever seen. I can't even describe it with words. It's insane. Absolutely insane.
So Dad and I ate and drank and ate some more. I introduced him to frappe but sadly it will be all gone come Wednesday. We went to Harry's Bar and drank Belini and people watched and ate such good food. It was lovely. And my train ride back to Roma today was quite; an almost nice change from the insanity of Carnival. It was amazing though. It was insane and crazy and so different from anything else in the world. And it was beautiful.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Be With You
Even in the pouring rain, this city is so amazingly beautiful. It's been grey and we haven't seen a glimpse of the sun for what feels like weeks (that downpour that keep us from Assisi just keeps on sitting over Rome) but somehow even in the most dire of weather conditions Rome is still so captivating (even the thunderstorms here are beautiful, watching lightning illuminate the gas meters out my window is amazing). Romans just keep on doing what they've done for centuries, living in a place that doesn't seem to want them. This place would be much better off if ancient people's hadn't settled here, the river floods, the land shifts and changes, the winds are constantly blowing shutters off buildings. But it's so beautiful. Even what shouldn't be breathtaking captures your mind.
The old man who runs the trattoria in my building told me yesterday, after I had ordered my cornetto literally "for the road" (literally. That's how you say "to go" here), that I was a real Roman now. For whatever reason they've accepted that I'm here to stay and will continue to eat their delicious pastries and sauteed artichokes for the next few months. It scares me how much I love this place, how much it feels like home. When they refer to Rome as The Eternal City I see why. This place never leaves you. You are eternally Rome's.
Papa Morizio is in Italy this week for business in Milan so he and I are going up to Venice this weekend, coincidentally, for Carnival. The rain should be letting up staring Friday afternoon and hopefully everything won't be flooded. We're staying right on the ocean (though I suppose everything is on the ocean in Venice) and it should be amazing. From the pictures I've seen of people who were up their last weekend, it looked packed and festive so I'm hoping this weekend will be amazing as well, if only for people watching.
Of course logistically this will make the trip more colorful, but that's part of the charm of Italy. Dads never been to Venice either, so he and I will both be exploring together. I'm excited to see Dad (my Dad is awesome. Seriously.) but also the draw of a long hot shower where the water doesn't pool at your feet because of drain issues sounds lovely. I'm just going to stuff myself with frappe before they lock up all the pastries for Lent and drink bellini and smell the ocean.
The old man who runs the trattoria in my building told me yesterday, after I had ordered my cornetto literally "for the road" (literally. That's how you say "to go" here), that I was a real Roman now. For whatever reason they've accepted that I'm here to stay and will continue to eat their delicious pastries and sauteed artichokes for the next few months. It scares me how much I love this place, how much it feels like home. When they refer to Rome as The Eternal City I see why. This place never leaves you. You are eternally Rome's.
Papa Morizio is in Italy this week for business in Milan so he and I are going up to Venice this weekend, coincidentally, for Carnival. The rain should be letting up staring Friday afternoon and hopefully everything won't be flooded. We're staying right on the ocean (though I suppose everything is on the ocean in Venice) and it should be amazing. From the pictures I've seen of people who were up their last weekend, it looked packed and festive so I'm hoping this weekend will be amazing as well, if only for people watching.
Of course logistically this will make the trip more colorful, but that's part of the charm of Italy. Dads never been to Venice either, so he and I will both be exploring together. I'm excited to see Dad (my Dad is awesome. Seriously.) but also the draw of a long hot shower where the water doesn't pool at your feet because of drain issues sounds lovely. I'm just going to stuff myself with frappe before they lock up all the pastries for Lent and drink bellini and smell the ocean.
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