Obsession of the Week: Large Crowds

This week, I am absolutely loving LARGE CROWDS.

And how could I not be? I just spent the entire morning and afternoon near St. Peter's Square and the Vatican in Rome for the Beatification of the late Pope John Paul II.

Not only was it a beautiful day for such an incredible ceremony, but over 1 million people came to celebrate together--to sing, to dance, to be united together as one. It's hard to deny the spirit of John Paul II when immersed in the midst of 1 million believers clapping their hands and whistling and crying and hugging each other. And while there is controversy over the sped-up Beatification process of the late Pope, there is no doubt in my mind that it was a well deserved honor after witnessing all of the people and the celebrations of the day.

It was an incredibly moving morning and afternoon, even as a non-religious person. Rome has not seen this many visitors at one time since John Paul II's death in April of 2004. It's clear that he was influential and greatly loved by millions of Catholics the world over. And they proved their love today by showing up to Rome in the hundreds of thousands for his Beatification ceremony.

So, this is why I am obsessed with large crowds this week. After an experience like that, how could I not be?!

Public Transportation is... Well.... Just Better

Let's face it.

When people travel (especially when people who have money travel), they typically they don't take public transportation.

This fact is a sad, sad, SAD thing. What is so great about going through the process of renting a car or van, learning how to use it, learning the traffic flows and quirks of a new place, and getting lost when the streets are one way in the opposite direction of the way you want to go? It's frustrating, sometimes dangerous, and always a hassle.

Instead, there is this wonderful thing called public transit, and amazingly enough, it works wonderfully, especially here in Rome.

I would swear by public transportation after living in Rome. And although it comes with its own frustrations, for the most part it is reliable, easy to use, and a great way to see the city. The busses of Rome literally go everywhere that you could think of. They have huge double busses for the most popular routes, medium sized busses that travel out to residential areas, and even little electric busses that zip in and along the small back roads of the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo. The trams are quick and come every couple of minutes, giving you an even more reliable source of public transit. The subways, although limited here in Rome (there are only two lines, with a third still in construction because they keep finding ancient ruins and having to reroute it), are even more reliable than the trams because they come on a constant time line, and are perhaps the quickest way to get to the most popular tourist destinations.

While the public transit here in Rome is not so reliable after midnight during the week or 2am on weekends (they all stop running for the most part besides the occasional night bus with limited routes), it is still a great way to get around and see the city during the day. Not only that, but it has also been a great way to see the people who actually live in the city that I'm visiting for the semester. I've also been lucky enough to meet some of these people when they've mistaken me for an Italian speaker and asked me a question, only to discover I'm an English speaker and visiter instead of local. Most people have then been happy to talk to me, even though it often consists of a lot of charades and broken Italian on my part or broken English on their part.

For example: I met Giulio, an 86 year old man who has lived in Rome for his entire life. He told me I have wonderful eyes, and that he is happy to see a young person traveling the world and studying in a country besides her own. He was pleasant, sweet, and cordial. After giving me a kiss on each cheek, he got off the bus at his stop and proceeded on with his day. Had I not taken the bus that day on my way to school, I would not have met Giulio.

So when you find yourself in a new place, even if it's only for a few days, take some form of public transportation, even if it is an ox-drawn cart in Costa Rica or a rickshaw in India or a dala dala in Tanzania (just hold tight to your bag if you do). You'll find that you will probably enjoy it more than the process of renting a private vehicle or dealing with taxi drivers.

Have you ever had a rewarding experience while taking public transportation, whether at home or abroad? Did you meet someone, see something, or end up somewhere you never expected? If you haven't taken public transportation, would you be willing to sacrifice a private vehicle in the future to take a ride on a bus, even if just for a day?

Panini Bonanza

I've been writing a lot about food in my time here, but that's only because it's so... damn... delicious.

Seriously! I can't get enough of the food here. And as I've written before, it's a lot of carbs. Thankfully, I've avoided putting on the pounds because of all the walking I do, in addition to all the fresh fruits and vegetables I eat.

Gelato, pizza... and now paninis!

Funny thing about Paninis... the American name for it is actually incorrect in several ways. First, panini is plural for panino, which is a loaf of bread used for sandwich making. So not only are you saying you want more than one when you say "Panini please!" but you're saying that you'd like more than one loaf of bread instead of more than one sandwich.

Confusing. I know. However, the Italians have caught on to the tourists' stupidity and caved to the fact that people will visit and order a panini instead of a panino, and that they will expect a sandwich instead of a loaf of bread. So, when you walk into a sandwich shop, feel free to continue using Panini, as long as it's in a more touristy area.

As I did with gelato and pizza, I have two favorite sandwich shops in the city.

Il Fornaio
As with their pizza, Il Fornaio win again with their sandwiches (location mentioned in previous post). Not only are many of their sandwiches made with their pizza bianco (a white pizza bread with no sauce, only a little olive oil), they slice the pizza into a top and bottom and stick all kinds of deliciousness inbetween. Prosciutto crudo or cotto, lettuce, spinach, egg, zucchini, mozzarella, eggplant, fontina, swiss cheese, parmesian, turkey, a tuna are just a few of the many ingredients they may be serving on their sandwiches that day. Their salami is also something to be tried, more so perhaps than any other food item, and it's not hard to see why when you lay your eyes on the enormous salami roll sitting in their doorway. I can guarantee, you will not be disappointed with any of their "paninis."

DueCento Gradi
Around the corner from Old Bridge Gelateria (one of the gelato places I raved about two posts ago) is DueCento Gradi... quite a sandwich place. Located in Piazza Risorgimento, this little hole in the wall sandwich place is surprisingly large on the interior. However, their fairly priced paninis are almost better eaten wrapped in the brown paper, standing up outside on a sunny day after spending the morning in the Vatican Museums. Their sandwiches are named after locations both in Rome and in Italy, and each one lives up to the name. You can have essentially any type of sandwich fixin that you can think of in your panini, and the combinations are endless. My recommendations? The Siena or the Popolo.

Pizza Pie!

Being in Italy means eating some of the best pizza in the world. I mean, the stuff was invented here in Naples--it should be good. (Technically, pre-pizza forms have been around since Ancient Greece... but the pizza we know today originated in Naples, Italy).

Back home I eat pizza maybe once every two to three weeks. It's a treat. It's greasy, cheesy, and oh so delicious. I would never imagine eating pizza once a week... or even more than that. But here in Rome, it's a food staple. There are pizzerias on literally every street, and they all smell delicious as you walk past them on your way to wherever you're heading.

Seeing as how I've picked my favorite gelato places, I figured I'd do the same for pizza. There are three places in particular that stick out in my mind here in Rome.

Di Simone's
Not only is it conveniently located on Via Carini right by The American University of Rome where I study, but it is, by far and without a doubt, the most incredibly delicious pizza I have ever tasted in my life. Even sitting here now, writing about it and thinking about its flavors, my mouth is watering despite having already had dinner. That's how good this pizza is--enough to make my mouth water when I have an already full belly. This place gets packed every day of the week during the lunch hour, and it's not hard to understand why. Offering over a two dozen varieties of pizzas and plenty of other delicious foods like suppli (deep fried risotto balls with mozzarella cheese in the center) and fried veggies, lasagna, gnocchi, broccoli rabe, and spinach, Di Simone's is the place to go to grab a bite to eat. You go in, pick out what you want, tell them how big or small a piece you want, they weigh it, and you pay by the weight. You're in an out before you know it, chowing down on some savory proscuitto e formaggio pizza or some buttery zucchini pizza or some classic pizza pomodoro. It's tough to go wrong, because each pizza is as delicious as the one before it.

Dar Poeta
If you want something a little less hectic and more classic, head over to Dar Poeta in Trastevere located on Vicolo del Bologna. The crust is made from a secret recipe, and locals head here to fulfill their pizza cravings for lunch and dinner. With checkered table clothes and a kitchen you can see from some of the tables, Dar Poeta is cozy and worth checking out. Aside from the cute ambiance, the pizza is really, really good. It's a softer crust, instead of crunchy like Di Simone's, but it's what you get on the pizza that makes it a perfect hunger satisfier. On my visit, I ordered the four cheese and chili powder pie, and all I have is one word--perfecto. I also plan on going back to try out their dessert calzones: from what I've read, a perfect blend of ricotta cheese and nutella.

Il Fornaio
Looking for that deep, bready crust that seems to be lacking in more of Rome? Look no further than Il Fornaio located on Via dei Baullari on your way to Campo dei Fiori. It's pizza rosso is probably the best Sicilian pizza I've ever had (although, I'm sure if I went to Sicily I could find better.... so I'll settle for best I've had so far). I was lucky enough to get a corner piece fresh out of the oven so that the crust was nice and crunchy and the inside was doughy and soft. As if the tomato sauce wasn't good enough, it was supplemented with cherry tomatoes tucked into air pockets in the dough and came as sweet little surprises with every bite. Truly satisfying after a morning spent meandering around Campo.

What is the best pizza you've ever had? Where was it and what made it so delicious?

Hey! Ho! Gelato!

When in Italy, one of the first foods to try is gelato. Not only is it a staple in the Italian diet (no, I'm not kidding. People actually go for their "camminare" (walk) after dinner to get gelato in order to help with digestion. And although one may think that gelato is just the Italian word for ice cream, one would be wrong... gelato is actually healthier (and, in this blogger's opinion, better!) Gelato has a lower fat content and a lower sugar content than ice cream.

I personally can't get enough of the stuff. I think it's smooth, light, full of taste, and extremely delicious.

And so, I've compiled a list of my favorite gelato places in the city of Rome that I've been fortunate enough to try at this point. I'm sure there is an endless list of amazing gelato places here in Rome... but if I were to attempt to hit every single one before I left the city, I would be forced to do nothing except eat, sleep and breathe gelato (hmmm.... maybe this doesn't sound like such a bad idea....)

Corona
Located right by the Argentina 8 tram stop, this gelateria is "artigianale," meaning it's all made with real ingredients instead of artificial ingrediants. With flavors like "Frappe" (a fried dough with powdered suger), "Biscotti Rum," and "Dolci di Leche" it has some pretty unique gelati. I highly recommend trying it right when you get off the 8 Tram. It's quite delicious, they pile it on, and they even include a shortbread cookie!

Checco er Carettiere
Not only a Gelateria, but also a delicious pasticceria and restaurant located on Via Benedetta in Trastevere, right off the Tiber River, this little place is by far the best place to satisfy a chocolate craving. Not only are their pastries, hot chocolate, and cakes very good, but their Nutella gelato is out of this world. Mix it with their fresh (and made with real) Banana gelato and you've got yourself a party in your mouth. Trust me. I have yet to have a better Nutella/Banana gelato in the 5 weeks I've been here.

Fior di Luna
My first gelato in Rome on my third night in the city (sadly, it took me three nights to have my first gelato. If you're even in Rome... or Italy... don't let this happen to you). Located on Via della Lungoretta Their gelato is packed with flavor and made with fresh, in season, and organic ingrediants, so don't expect Fragola (strawberry) in the winter months. However try the pistachio and chocolate... it won't let you down.

Giolitti
How about a heaping helping of gelato after a long morning walking around the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Pantheon? Head to the back streets the Pantheon and you'll be greeted with the huge lettering of this gelateria, found on Via Uffici del Vicario, that was featured in the famous movie Roman Holiday. Not only is it famous for the movie, but its gelato lives up to the hype. After paying at the front register, head to the back to squeeze your way through the crowds to the counter to ask for a variety of flavors. After picking not one, not two, but three flavors, you'll also be asked "con panna?" ("Whipping cream?") Obviously, the only answer is yes, after which you can elbow your way back out into the streets to enjoy your treat... that is... if you can avoid the tempting other sweets the shop has to offer.

Old Bridge Gelateria
Spending any amount of time in Rome and not going to Old Bridge to get gelato should be a crime (or a sin, I suppose, for it's location near to the Vatican and St. Peter's). It's claim to fame is being the oldest gelateria in the city, and it's located on Via Bastioni di Michelangelo. Their fruit flavors are, almost literally, to die for. Try the arancia and ricotta canella (orange and cinnimon ricotta) and you won't be disappointed. I was so surprised by how incredible the ricotta canella was the first time I had it, that I literally went back immediately and ordered more. Not to mention, the servers behind the counter are some of the kindest I've experienced here in Rome--they're fun, jovial and always willing to listen to you botch Italian as you try to order like a local.

Romagnani Cafe
Last but not least, I've included my neighborhood gelateria--Romagnani. Hard to miss thanks to its huge pink neon-lettering, located on the corner of Via di Monteverde and Via della Donna Olympia, this little cafe has quite tasty gelato. Certainly not the best in the city, but the best in my neighborhood, for sure. Sitting at the outdoor tables, enjoying a cappuccino and gelato--typically their crema and fiordilatte--is a great way to ease my stress after my class days. Obviously out of the way for the typical tourist visiting Rome for only a few days, it's worth checking out if you live here for several months in the residential area of Monteverde.


Have you ever been to Rome? If so, what's your favorite gelato place? Or do you have a place near your home that serves gelato?

È delizioso!

The food here just tastes better.

Well, that's what I say about every country I go to. It seems that every time I travel, the food is better than what I eat at home.

Part of this is because much of the food we eat in the U.S. has either been processed until it can't possibly be processed any further or it has been shipping hundreds or thousands of miles before hitting the shelves of your local grocery store.

However, when I travel, I've found that what I consume is a lot more limited, but a heck of a lot more tasty. I may not get Oreos and Doritos (unless I'm lucky enough to have my mom ship them to me!) but I do get a lot of really savory, flavorsome, delectable and yummy foods fresh from markets (and even the occasional larger grocery store). 

Here in Italy, I've found that the Blood Oranges are by far the most delicious oranges I've ever had in my life, even beating out the oranges I had in Tanzania. I literally could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.... and even dessert. And the fun thing about each orange is that it's a surprise! Some of them are a deep, dark red through and through, while others have starbursts of red close to the rind. Still others have streaks of red on every other slice and some have a little sun of red around their centers. Not only are the beautiful, but they are the best damn oranges I've ever eaten. People grow them in trees in their backyards all throughout the city, and we even have a tree in our courtyard at school.

Another food I've come to love is the home made pasta. There is nothing like it. Going to the open air markets and buying little packets of home made pasta has really been a treat. Thankfully, to offset my sudden onset of carboholism, I get to walk everywhere in this city (refer to my earlier post!) But the pasta really has been a delicious surprise, especially after eating boxed pasta all the time back home.

Speaking of carbolism--I certainly eat a lot of carbs here. Pasta, rosemary and olive oil crackers, bruschetta, shortbread biscuits, potatoes, gnocchi and pizza are all staples in the Italian diet. And yet, rarely will I see an overweight person. It's an interesting contradiction, but a pleasant one, because it gives me hope that I will be able to keep off the pounds by walking just like the resident Romans.

The food had been amazing here, so far, and I look forward to several months more of it before heading back to the states. 

Have you ever found a food that you simply can't get enough of while traveling? What was it and why was it better than the food you eat at home? 

These Spiral Staircases Just Never End!

The Romans seem to love their spiral staircases....

It's no wonder that no one here is obese like many people are in the United States. Rarely do you even see a person who is overweight here. After my first three days in this city, I found out why.

People walk. They walk, and they walk, and then they walk some more.
Do you need groceries? Well, you walk to the "Frutta e Verdura" to get your fruits and vegetables. Then you walk to the macelliao (the butcher) to get some bistecca e prosciutto (steak and ham). Don't have a washer or dryer to do your laundry? Then you walk to the lavenderia to get your laundry. Live on the other side of the city from where you go to school? Then you walk to scuola. Is school far from work? Then you walk to lavoro (work). What if you decide to take public transportation? Then you walk to il tram o fermata dell'autobus (the tram or the bus stop). You might take the bus or the tram for a couple stops, but then you walk to your casa (house), which, chances are, is still a quarter mile from the bus stop. What if you want to go out to dinner and get a gelato afterwards? You walk to il ristaurante e la gelateria.

You walk... and that's the secret.

Back in the U.S. we have become so suburbanized and dependent on the car that we have stopped walking. Here, despite the starchy diets full of pasta and pizza and potatos and pastries, you are constantly walking and don't have to be so worried about what you eat. Not to mention that dinner is (for a typical Italian) the smallest meal of the day. Breakfast is important, and lunch is the largest meal for most people--giving everyone time to digest their food before sleeping at night. Additionally, everything here is fresh: homemade pasta and gnocchi, home grown fruits and vegetables, fresh milk and aged cheese, recently culled meats. You can be assured that the food you're purchasing at the open air market is the freshest of the fresh ingredients you could buy.

Oh, and did I mention? You have to walk to the open air market. Surprise!

At first, it took a lot of getting used to--walking everywhere and depending on public transportation in order to get places further than a half hour's walking distance. However, I've really grown to enjoy it. It makes me physically tired (but fulfilled) by the end of the day, and I've slept really well despite my (less than) comfortable bed. It has also helped me to see more of the city than I would have otherwise... not only because I've been taking the time to walk everywhere, but also because I've gotten lost more than I have ever gotten lost in my life, which has, surprisingly, been a blessing in disguise. In getting lost and walking around trying to find my way, I've found things I would have never found if I had been using a car and GPS.

Do you ever find that you've learned to appreciate the simpler things in life while traveling? Things like walking and getting lost? Do you ever feel constrained by your car or suburban home if either are part of your life?  Would you like having a life without those things, where you had to walk or take public transportation?

Quando a Roma...

I have been in Rome for two weeks as of tomorrow morning.

So, it's about time that I start blogging on a more consistent basis. I hope to update every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. So check back on those days (and possibly more often if I have the time!) for new posts!

My time here has been quite an adventure so far. I've learned a lot, I've struggled with Italian, I've been lost more than I've been found and I've begun to fall in love with one of the most ancient cities in the world.

Something I have come to appreciate while being here is communication. Not until we are somewhere where we cannot communicate do we truly realize how essential it is to everything we do. To order food, ask what time it is, get directions, or even find a bathroom you have to communicate--and when you can't speak the language, you are suddenly severely disabled.

So in order to avoid being disabled through communication I took Italian last semester and I am currently taking Italian while I'm here, as well. However, I wanted to put what I am learning into practice and so I have gotten involved in a program called Extreme Language Exchange at the Mate Bar in Trastevere, a small district in Roma with lots of trendy boutiques, bars, cafes, and gelaterias. It's a trendy and hip place, but the program is what drew me to the area to begin with. After finishing my second session tonight, I know that it is something I am going to continue to attend throughout my semester so that I can practice speaking and listening to Italian instead of just reading and writing it in class.

The moment I knew that working on my Italian was paying off occurred today while waiting for a bus. As a quick side story, since I've been here I have yet to be mistaken for an American as long as I am by myself and I keep my mouth shut. Whenever I've been waiting for a bus, or standing in line at the local pizzeria or pasteccheria people immediately use Italian when speaking to me--which is a good feeling because it makes me feel like I am doing a good job of blending in instead of sticking out--but it's frustrating when I have to respond with, "Mi dispiace, non capisco. Non parlo italiano. Parlo inglese." ("I'm sorry, I don't understand. I don't speak Italian. I speak English.") It's at that point that the person who just moments before mistook me for an Italian, rolls his or her eyes and wanders off to speak to another person nearby. However, today was a breakthrough, for as I was standing at my bus stop to get to school, I had a man come up to me and ask, "Questo autobus va a Via Carini?" to which I momentarily paused, about to respond with my usual "Mi dispiace," only to realize... I understood him! He asked if this bus was going to the Via Carini stop... and I knew the answer! "Si, signore!" I hastily replied while he stood there looking slightly puzzled at my enthusiasm. I just smiled, walked over to a seat, sat down, and silently praised myself. Not only had I actually LISTENED to what this man had asked me, but I had been able to understand it, and respond! It was quite rewarding... even if slightly anti-climactic in terms of my response... a simple: "Yes, sir!"

However, being in a country where the primary language is not English has taught me a lot. It has made me work harder at listening to people when they speak on top of asking them, "Puoi parlare lentamente, per favore?" ("Can you speak slowly, please?") Slowly but surely I am learning, and I know that if I continue to place myself in situations where I need to speak in Italian or listen to people speak to me in Italian, that I will improve my ability and grow more confident in my speech.

Whenever you find yourself in an unfamiliar and foreign place, do you feel intimidated by language barriers or cultural differences? How do you handle yourself in these situations? What do you do in order to "blend in" or feel comfortable?  Have you made an effort to learn the basics of the languages of the places you've traveled?