The Second Day

Buongiorno!

As promised today has a better picture selection, and actual events! Drew and I went on a walk between our classes today. We had the Italian culture class in the morning and then the Language class at three.

Castle Saint Angelo

Me, posing as an angel on the bridge over the Tiber River

St. Peters From afar

St. Peters Basilica

St Peters again, this time from a different country. I'm actually standing in the Vatican City, technically a different country. They don't validate your passport though...

The Italian culture class I have signed up for seems to be very interesting. We are studying a myriad of topics about the city of Rome and Italian culture. We have a series of Italian movies to supplement the lecture. We will learn about some of the history of the more modern neighborhoods of Rome. My group was the last to pick and we were given Trastevere as our neighborhood... Which stinks because all of us live here, so we do not get to explore a new neighborhood. We then have to give a tour of historic places within the neighborhood. (the Tempietto and Casa di Dante are two I can think up from the top of my head without any research)

Viale Cinque, the street our studio is on.

Our studio floor is the second set of windows from the top.

The door to get in. These are actually some pretty small doors for this area. 

Pastrami on ciabatta flat bread for lunch. Drew and I both got some and sat in a park near studio

The aforementioned park...

Every public space that is roughly an acre in size has a fountain, and this tiny park is no exception.

View from my studio window out into the ghetto. The domed building is the synagogue.

This is the place where Cesar was executed.

It is now inhabited by several dozen cats. Romans nicknamed it the Ruinas/Piazza delle Gati (the ruins or square of the cats)

They just leave archeological pieces out because, well, you just can't grab one and toss it into your Fiat because the stone weighs more than your car does...

The Pantheon... I did not go inside today, but it is only a five minute walk from studio so I should be fine. 

Me posing by one of three fountains in the Piazza Navona. Lots of little street artists here, might snag some cool pieces if they come as a deal or not.

To those of you buried under six inches of snow... I have nothing to say besides that I wished I had shorts this afternoon. I really want to get a lighter coat because walking around is kinda hot in the Columbia winter coat more appropriate for Iowa weather, especially when you walk 4 km in an afternoon.

Dinner tonight was pesto on fresh noodles (not dried out ones like we have in the states, they were still doughy) as well as penne with a tomato base for people who didnt like pesto (everyone loved the pesto, need to make significantly more of it because there is red sauce on everything here). 

Tomorrow we go to our sight and begin studio in earnest. 

Buonanotta America! Enjoy the fresh white blanket of snow, because I am... (not missing it at all!)