Roma Week 2 (GL 350)



The view from the top of the Spanish steps

     It has now been two weeks since we've stepped off of the plane in the beautiful country of Italy. It's still hard to believe that our second week here has come to an end. Week two has brought more exciting and unforgettable experiences. The week included more tours of sights in Rome, Halloween and pumpkin carving on campus, and finally a group trip to the city of Venice.
     After experiencing Rome for two weeks, I, and much of the other students can now say that we feel as though we are not tourists, but natives. We can walk around without a map in some places and know where we are going, or if not, we are able to ask someone for help. By now, I feel as though I can travel by myself here and still feel comfortable. Barzini's explanation in chapter four about the busy street life of natives and foreigners alike captures the essence of Rome perfectly. "Streets, squares, marketplaces teem with people, noisy, elated, gay, energetic, busy people. There are uniformed carabinieri...fat priests strolling slowly, peasants dressed in rough velvet clothes, smart young soldiers on leave, housewives carrying heavy shopping bags, desperate youths with long hair and blue jeans, swarms of pretty girls and children playing between everybody's legs." Rome is a perfect place for the art of "people watching," which I do frequently. It may just be because we are in a different country, or experiencing a culture we have never been immersed in before, but Italy and its diverse culture is definitely something I can get used to.

     Since we have been here, and because we do not feel like crazy tourists from America with their fanny packs, camera, and souvenirs, we are able to notice the flaws of Italy more easily. Natalia Ginzberg in "Such is Rome" talks about how the cars, Vespas and other automobiles have taken over the city. "If ever there was a city made for walking, it's this one; the cars seem to have invaded it by stealth, like an attack of blight." I agree that the cars in Italy and Rome particularly are everywhere. They are on the streets, on the sidewalks, parked anywhere they can fit, even if it seems impossible. They do not care about their cars as much as in America where you can sometimes see a car parked in two parking spots just to avoid someone bumping into their car. If that were to happen here, two other cars would squeeze up beside it, just because they can. Although the streets are teeming with vehicles, I think that they are now a part of Italy and what makes it unique.

Gondola ride in Venice

     After the week's sights including a student-led tour of the Spanish steps and Piazza del Popolo and a bike ride on the Old Appian Way, we left for a plane to Venice for the weekend. Before leaving for Venice, we were told that the city would be underwater because it is right on the sea and the weather had been rainy with a high tide level. When we arrived, we took a ferry to our hotel, which was on the island of Lido. The weekend had many fun experiences such as shopping the many streets of masks, seeing Murano glass being made, eating pizza on the beach and taking a nighttime gondola ride (left). Overall, the first group weekend trip was spectacular and I look forward to the others along with the next six weeks.

Ciao for now!