My fabulous mother flew in yesterday after an all-night flight. Thankfully it was direct so she was able to sleep on her way over-- as much as you can sleep in the middle of 5 seats in the "steerage" class. She got in around 8.30 am and took the train to the new part of the city I am staying. Alas, I had to leave my wonderful airbnb room located so perfectly near the sights and move to a charming studio apartment in the lower east side of the city. Believe, me "lower east side" is exactly what it is. Very charming little room (Dwell Magazine would salivate seeing it) and there is a awesome farmers market near by, but other than that its main features are a 20 minute walk to the metro, buildings covered in graffiti and the main sights of traffic overpasses. Definitely a different experience of the city. Of course, if I was ever to live in Rome this is most likely the area I would choose since I seem to have a predisposition to gravitate towards "ghetto" areas...
The day before Mom got here I headed over to the Colosseum. Actually, "headed over" is a little bit misleading. I was sitting in my usual cafe writing and enjoying the morning and decided to walk in the other direction on my way back to the apartment. Typical of this trip, I walked about 5 blocks and saw the ancient monumental structure just down the street. Yup. No idea it was anywhere near where I had been spending 2 hours each morning.
Awesome, Ash. Way to be on top of things.
The place was great-- just as you'd expect but extremely humbling to actually see its size and realize you're standing literally in the spot where so much history happened. In keeping with true tourist tradition, the line to get in was about two hours long and filled with sweaty adults trying to keep a group of twenty teenagers in line or confused sightseers desperately looking in a translation book trying to decide which line they needed to be in. Being cheap and impatient, I opted to walk around the place, take pictures and just to pretend to have seen everything. I'll come back someday, right?
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| redeeming farmers market |
Then it was off to the great adventure of finding my new place. Once again too cheap to hail a cab, I opted to walk the 3 miles--suitcases in tow-- and just hope I was headed in the right direction. According to iMaps, the route looked do-able. Unfortunately, the lovely app did not account for the fact that there are not actual places for pedestrians to walk on the busy thoroughfares. There I am, phone in hand, scared to take my eyes off the bobbing blue dot, scrambling to keep my suitcase on its wheels, lugging a bookbag that is as heavy as I am (well, probably not any more thanks to Italian pastries...) and waving an "I'm-sorry-I'm-in-the-middle-of-the-street-while-you're-driving-like-a-maniac" wave in a very clueless traveler way. It's actually impressive I'm still alive. Might now hold the record for most honked at within 30 minutes.
Stupid American.
Thankfully I found the train station a bit easier when I went to go pick up my mom the next morning and we even used the BUS to get back to the apartment! After unloading her stuff it was off to the Vatican. Once again tourist lines (as well as bare summer shoulders and breezy skirts) we decided not to go in but hopefully we'll be back with a guide next summer during the Ozburn Graduation Trip (sorry Ross, you'll graduate at some point...teasing). The piazza in front of the Vatican was impressive as were the buildings and river surrounding it. Very Catholic.
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| vatican piazza |
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| mom with new purse |
We wandered across the river and through the fantastic winding streets around that portion of the city. We promptly (literally the first store we went into!) bought two leather purses, both orange and both unnecessary. I haven't bought a single thing since I've been here (alright, one architecture book at the Maxxi, but that's academic and doesn't count, right?) so needless to say, having a partner in crime here with me who loves shopping more than myself (who is also very convincing with her great arguments about the benefits of practical souvenirs) is going to be interesting. I must say, they are both very chic. We are so hot right now.
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| 4 types of bruschetta |
We found a tiny restaurant with a 10 euro special that included bruschetta, a pasta, water (which is crazy expensive here) and vino. Probably the best deal I've seen since I've been here. I'm used to spending 6 euros on a glass of wine alone, let alone dinner. I guess being with her and finding these deals is going to balance out my purse after all.
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| watercolor kit. love it. |
We walked and chatted, sat and chatted, drank wine and chatted. It was a lovely day. Ended it off sitting outside at a restaurant sketching (while chatting!), listening to live music in the piazza while it turned to dusk. Definitely a great day and definitely nice to see such beautiful things with someone else there. Didn't realize how much I missed traveling with another person. Makes it much more fun.
Now it's off to Rhodes. Hopefully trying to find the CIA airport is not going to be as much as an adventure as trying to find the apartment and we'll make our 17.45 flight. Can't believe I've been in Rome for 5 days and tomorrow I'll be in Greece. Surreal.
(Update on shoe saga: wore different sandals yesterday. Horrible for the soles of my feet. Back to my vindictive shoes today but thankfully Mom brought a refill of blister bandaids. Just in case you were wondering...I know the concern for my feet is overwhelming.)
