Sono arrivato a Roma!!!

• Acam's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from Rome

Trip Start Jan 12, 2010 Trip End May 07, 2010 Next
Entry

  Rome, Lazio, Italy
Wednesday, January 13, 2010

   I have finally arrived in the Eternal City, ROME!!! After staying up the entire night, I left San Diego on Tuesday at 6:30am bound for Philadelphia, PA.  The plane was practically empty! I was able to have an entire row to myself to lie down on and catch up on some shut eye.  After I got to Philly, there was a layover of a few hours.  I was so anxious to get on the flight to Rome that I was pacing back and forth most of the time.The plane left around 6:30pm EST and the flight actually went by pretty fast. There were a ton of American students on the plane, and I was able to meet quite a few who were also studying abroad in Rome for a semester.  Staying up all night proved to be a good idea, as I was able to sleep comfortably through most of the flight (I can't read, write or do math on the plane).  After I arrived in Fiumicino, Rome, I grabbed my baggage and was given a brief orientation and my apartment keys by the study abroad staff.  I hopped into a taxi and was soon at my apartment.  I am in a double with 4 other guys in the Vatican neighborhood.  We practically live right across the street from the Vatican!

    As soon as we got settled in, we left the apartment and began exploring our neighborhood. The Vatican has a very tall stone perimeter, so we had to walk along the street bordering it.  We stumbled upon a very large mercato and it was such an amazing sight!  It was everything I had imagined it would be, but better.  There were tons of family-run vendors selling fresh meat, and a wide array of fruits and vegetables, with fresh local specialties like carciofo romanesco (Roman globe artichokes) and puntarella (chicory) for salads.  I was delighted to see that much of the gastronomic traditions of Rome were maintained in spite of the onslaught of agribusiness and fast food chains (we saw a couple of McDonalds and Burger Kings).  Even in such a large metropolitan area, there is still an abundance of unique food shops, caffès, trattorias and pizzerias. 

    As I continued to walk around, I saw a meat and cheese vendor run by an elderly couple and their daughter.  They were slicing fresh prosciutto from a traditional ham holder and making a sandwich with it for a customer.  I knew immediately that had to be my first meal in Rome.  It was my first attempt at ordering food in Italian, but it was a pleasant one to boot!   I pointed to the sandwich they were making, but the father told me that I had to buy the pane from the bread vendor near them.  He actually walked me over and helped me order a small loaf, and after I paid for it, returned back to the shop.  He sliced me a good amount of the prosciutto but I also wanted some slices of cheese with it.  I forgot how to say cheese in Italian, so I just said, "Cheese."  He was very confused and responded with, "Cheese?"  Luckily another Italian customer understood me and said, “Formaggio.”   The pane con prosciutto e formaggio was delicious!  The prosciutto complimented by the fresh cheese and crisp bread made for an awesome trio.  Next, we stopped by a local caffè, run by a mother and her daughter, Francesca.  I ordered an expresso and their signature dessert, torte di mele (Italian apple pie).   The apple pie was spectacular, very thin slices of apple with a delicate, cakey crust.  It was certainly much different than anything I have eaten in the States.  My first expresso was a perfect addition with the apple pie.  Francesca and her mother were extremely friendly, and very much interested in my roommates and me.  We ended up staying there for quite a while, and made great conversation.  Italians are such friendly people!

    After we finished up at the caffè, we returned back to our apartment for our first Italian siesta. We ended up passing out and sleeping for about 5 hours, and awoke at 8:30pm.  We got dressed and headed back into the city for dinner.  We found a good pizzeria, and I ordered a slice of pizza con pomodoro e porcini.   The pizza was very thin and extremely crispy.  I love mushrooms, and the porcini with tomatoes and cheese was an amazing combination.  We couldn't end our first night in Rome without stopping by a gelateria!  I ordered gelato alla stracciatella (gelato with fine chocolate bits).  It was exceptionally creamy and the cone was the best I have ever tasted.  It had a fine nutty aroma, which was absolutely delicious.  I’m going to have gelato on a daily basis, and I am rationalizing my decision on the fact that it is healthier than ice cream (it’s made with milk instead of cream).  It was a great way to end my first night in Rome.  Buena notte!

      

Slideshow Share

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Flight from San Diego to Philadephia, PA!	Waiting for the flight to Rome!	Baggage claim in Fiumicino, Rome	Accent study abroad staff greeting us in Rome   Comments!
Meat market	Pane con prosciutto e formaggio	Expresso   Comments!	My apartment from the outside
My room	Pizza con pomodoro e porcini

Next Entry