Cappuccino & Pastries

Today, Bridget and I had plans to take a day trip to the Tivoli Gardens:

But when we got to the train station this morning, they cancelled our trip because... You guessed it--a chance of snow! We were a bit disappointed but both of us agreed that it will be better to visit when it's warmer out and we both have our cameras (Bridget accidently dropped her camera last week and broke the lens). So we wandered back to our apartment & obviously couldn't pass up a chance for hot cappuccino and still-warm-from-the-oven pastries. We felt better immediately--is there nothing a lemon croissant can't fix?!

Tomorrow afternoon, Bridget and I are supposed to catch a train to Naples (everyone cross your fingers they don't cancel that one too!) We're only staying for a night but that gives us plenty of time to stuff ourselves full of their world famous pizza--it's actually where pizza was invented. One of my professors told us it started with the Margherita Pizza when Queen Margherita was visiting Naples and was served a pizza resembling the Italian Flag (red tomatoes, green basil & white mozzarella) yum! Bridget and I have also been using this quiet afternoon (our roommates are on trips to Paris and Florence) to plan a trip over Easter Weekend to see Budapest and Prague! I know nothing about either of those cities, so if anyone knows anyone that has been there--fill me in! :)

Snow Day in Roma

The weather in Roma has seriously been causing a hullabaloo! On Saturday, public transportation was unavailable so my roommates and I wandered around Testaccio and found two breathtaking churches; Sant' Alessio and Santa Sabina. I guess the locals were inside hiding from the snow because we were the only visitors at either church--a nice change from the tourist packed sites like St. Peter's Basilica or the Vatican.

On Sunday, we found out that due to "adverse weather conditions" (even though 90% of the snow had melted) classes were going to be cancelled on Monday! We decided to take advantage of our free day and head to the bar to watch the Super Bowl. My roommates and I were shocked at how packed and crazy the bar was, we didn't know the Italians got so into American Football?! Anyway, the game didn't end until nearly 4:30am so it was a fun but late night for all of us. For those of you who don't know, I am a morning person :) especially when I add espresso in the mix. By the time my roommates wake up, I've usually showered, done my laundry and gone to the market in our Piazza. So they weren't too thrilled when I woke them up around 2pm to actually spend some of our "snow day" outside... Eventually after some prodding, we all got out the door and ventured into the city. We finally found the Trevi Fountain, did a little shopping & wandering and then met up with some friends of our to grab food. I wish I had pictures to share from my adventures today, but I tend to have bad luck with cameras while traveling... Apparently I left my charger somewhere at home (keep searching Mom & Dad!) so pictures might be on hold until my girlfriend is visiting (less that 2 weeks) and can bring that out for me!

Snow, Snow Go Away!

Yesterday morning I awoke to this:

And today, I awoke to this:

My professor told us that last year was the first time in 45 years that the snow actually 'stuck' here in Rome. As pretty as it is, I wish it would stop! Since snow is so rare here, when the flakes start falling, the trains/trams/busses completely stop. They don't have plows (or salt?) so the stores stay closed and everyone stays home. Not to mention that I was told at our pre-departure orientation not to bring my winter coat since it would be warming up soon. No coat, no gloves, no hat, no winter boots--brrr! We also don't control our own heat... That is left up to the city of Rome and only comes on at certain times during the day, so it's been pretty chilly! Last night the roomies stayed in and made a big soup dinner (with some delicious dessert) and watched Italian movies on our miniature tv... This place is starting to feel like home! :)

Address

My address in Italy:

Chelsea Langen

c/o The American University of Rome

Via Pietro Roselli 4

00153 Rome, Italy

Catching Up

Tonight is the first quiet night in my apartment as my roommates and I are starting class tomorrow morning at 9:00am. None of us are quite ready to go back school but at least we are over the jetlag! This first week has been a ton of fun exploring a little bit of the city, seeing some of the sights and getting to know my five roommates. The girls I live with (Dianna, Talia, Bridget, Lauren and Molly) are from all over the states—Chicago, Wisconsin, Michigan, Baltimore and New Jersey. None of us came into this experience knowing any friends so everyone is really eager to have fun and hangout together. I definitely lucked out with such an outgoing and friendly group and I think it’s going to be a great semester! The only problem so far is that we all have one big thing in common; we don’t speak ANY Italian (non parlo l’italiano)! Since we live outside of downtown Rome away from the touristy area, finding someone who speaks English is rare. To be completely honest, communication has been pretty hard… I can’t order in a restaurant, ask/understand directions or even tell the doorman that our apartment buzzer is broken. Maybe it’s a good thing that my classes are starting tomorrow!

Aside from my language barrier struggles, I am loving Roma. The food is great and you can buy wine for the same price as water at our favorite grocery store! Everywhere I look is something beautiful… The girls went looking for the Trevi Fountain yesterday but we literally stumbled upon the Pantheon instead & getting lost here is actually fun. This morning I woke up to a bunch of noise outside our apartment to find a market in our Piazza (literally 2 steps from my apartment door) that spanned 2 miles down the road. Hundreds of vendors were set up selling everything from scarves and paintings to purses and nylons. It happens every Sunday so if you are visiting me—our market is quite the experience. Anywho, I'm off to bed--first day of school in the morning! Ciao!

Just a few photos

Making my first espresso!

The view from my apartment

Two of my roommates & I outside our school

Our first night out in Roma!

The Colosseum at night is incredible!

Just wandering the streets of Rome...

Arriving in Roma

I have officially landed in Roma! I got really lucky on my flight with an empty seat next to me & was actually able to get some sleep. Rome is absolutely gorgeous! I am living in a neighborhood called Testaccio which is about 20 minutes (by tram and bus) away from my university. The school itself is incredible... It's located on the Gianicolo (the second tallest hill in Rome) so it overlooks the entire city and is covered in palm trees and flowers. My apartment is a lot bigger than I expected, even if the beds are teeny tiny. We have 4 girls living here so far (waiting on two more roommates) sharing 3 bedrooms. There are 2 bathrooms--yes we have a bidet--and a total of 3 balconies. I am totally exhausted and finally going to get some sleep but I will update more later!